The Laws of Logic
by SilverWings741
Summary: Tenten knew the world had ended the day she had to undergo her first seduction mission escorted by three men. And not just any three men - three logical, overbearing, non-hyperverbal prodigies. Add a little lust, love, tears, laughter, sentiment and rationality to the mix and follow Tenten as she attempts to exhibit that there is no such thing as the laws of logic. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey, everyone! Yes, yes I know. Working three stories at once isn't a good idea but seriously I had to put this story up because it was driving me crazy not to. This is gonna be a whole lot of Neji and Tenten jam packed romance with the wit of Shikamaru and Sasuke on the side. Please read all the way through and don't forget to review! I can't do what I do without all my lovelies who review and pm me, so thank you and enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**_

 **-X-**

There had never been a more perfect day in Konoha – pristine blue skies, golden-yellow sunshine, spring flowers intoxicating the air and Tenten felt as if the ground had been yanked out from right under her feet. She knew that being a shinobi was never going to be easy. But combined with the fact that she was now a high ranking Jounin and a _female_ , no less, the weapons mistress had to accept the fact that she would, one day, be sent on specific missions that was a prerequisite for someone of her status. Seduction missions fit within the criteria of being a skilled kunoichi and sometimes a woman had to use her body in any way necessary to obtain information. Tenten knew that with her position, she could be called on at any time to perform one of these missions. Yet, it didn't mean that she never thought she'd _actually_ have to go on one of these expeditions. But somehow or another, she found herself summoned to the Hokage's office and was delegated the assignment of seducing a man.

Tenten would have felt a lot more comfortable if she knew what she was doing. However, being the age of nineteen and bearing little to no sexual experience in her entire life, secured the fact that the bun haired girl was very inexperienced and rather unqualified for such a mission. Both Ino and Sakura, hell, even Hinata had been allocated seducing missions which were all performed successfully. Tenten was the only one out of all of her female friends who hadn't been assigned such a task before. And now that she had, she could feel the burden of having to live up to the expectations of her comrade's dawn on her.

She was young, inadequate and unqualified and the furthest she had ever gone with a man was nothing more than a simple peck on the lips. Yet, she couldn't reject the mission and her pride, dignity, reputation and even virginity, was on the line. Tenten didn't think that the situation could possibly get any worse than it was, but all she had to do was look at her team line up and she felt like she was going to pass out from sheer shock.

 _Three men? Seriously?!_

Tenten could not believe her eyes. She blinked once. Twice. Three times. But the names did not disappear. So, she was to be sent off on a seduction mission, accompanied by three other men. And not just any men, three prodigies in their own rights – Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara and Neji Hyuga. If Tenten didn't have such great self-control over herself, she would've thrown a massive fit, worthy of a three year old child, right there and then in Tsunade's office. Instead she closed her eyes, tightened her hands into fists and gritted her teeth in an attempt to control her disbelief.

The weapons mistress was having a difficult time wrapping her head around the predicament she now found herself in. So, she was supposed to tempt some random male in the presence of a cold, egocentric Uchiha, a lazy, unimpressed Nara and her former childhood crush, Neji Hyuga. Could this day get any worse?

At that moment, the door to Tsunade's room opened and in walked the three said men.

"Ah, you got my message," Tsunade raised her head, greeting the prodigies as they filed in one by one. "Come in."

Tenten was already standing in the middle of the room, trying her best to avoid eye contact with any of the shinobi. Neji stood on her left while Shikamaru planted himself on the right and Sasuke, next to him. She could feel the lingering gazes all of three men from the corner of her eyes and she pointedly ignored them and focused on Tsunade who was rifling through a stack of papers.

"I have assigned you three and Tenten an A-rank mission," the Hokage announced, lacing her long fingers together. "I have already told Tenten the basics but now that all four of you are here I will relay you the details."

The three males all raised their eyebrows in curiosity at such a peculiar line up for a mission, but they remained silent and listened intently.

"This will be a retrieval mission," Tsunade began to explain. "We have a report that a couple of days ago, some highly classified documents were stolen from the village containing the profiles of our top shinobi. We have reason to believe they were taken by a shinobi from Kumogakure. A scouting team tracked the thief all the way to the border that the Land of Lightning share with the Hidden Frost Village. They weren't able to retrieve the stolen information but they did discover that the thief was working for a third party and handed the documents over to a man named Ryoku – a rich, power hungry mercenary."

"You want us to retrieve the coveted information?" Neji affirmed, his tone calm and matter of fact.

The blonde nodded in confirmation.

"It won't be as easy as it seems. We know that Ryoku lives just outside the Hidden Cloud village. He lives a life of luxury and he will have many highly skilled shinobi guarding his home. Seeing as we do not know where the documents are, Tenten will be sent in to seduce Ryoku and recover the whereabouts of the pilfered information and you…" Tsunade pointed a finger at the three prodigies, "…will do whatever it takes to reclaim those documents."

At the mention of 'Tenten' and 'seduce', all three heads whipped around to stare at the brunette with rather apprehensive expressions. She bit her lip but resisted casting her gaze downwards with embarrassment. Tenten knew it was rather startling for someone like herself to be sent off on a seduction mission, yet she couldn't help but feel insulted at the anxiousness her team felt towards her.

"I know you haven't been on this type of mission before," Tsunade spoke directly to the weapons mistress. "So I must ask, how much sexual experience do you have?"

Tenten felt her cheeks burn with utter mortification but she kept herself composed and answered, "I-I must say I don't have much experience, Hokage-sama. However, I have been through basic training for this type of situation."

The older lady just nodded in understanding, her lips pressed together in a firm line. Tenten dared not look at the expressions of her fellow teammates. She could already visualise Sasuke with an arrogant smirk plastered on his unfortunately good looking face, Shikamaru rolling his eyes with indifference and Neji…well, she didn't know how he would react at the mention of her lack of sexual practice.

"Nothing I didn't expect," Tsunade surmised, leaning comfortably in her chair and Tenten felt her embarrassment deepen.

Was it really that obvious that even the Hokage was aware of her non-existent sex life?

"Tsunade-sama, if I may interrupt," Shikamaru suddenly spoke up in his lazy drawl. "Wouldn't it be better to send someone with more skill like Ino or Sakura on this mission? Tenten will have to convincingly seduce Ryoku in order to find the location of the documents. However, should she fail, she will most likely face certain death and then the mission will be blown and we may never retrieve those documents."

Tenten knew that Shikamaru's comments were directed as a concern for the success rate of the mission rather than a criticism about her, however she couldn't help but feel degraded at his words and she felt a sudden urge to prove herself capable at succeeding on such a mission.

"All I'm saying is that I think that sending someone with more experience will increase our chances of success," the brunette boy concluded logically before turning to Tenten and adding, "No offence."

"None taken," the bun haired girl lied smoothly as she watched Tsunade shake her head magnificent head.

"I understand your judgement, Shikamaru," she told the Nara prodigy. "However, I need both Sakura and Ino here in the village. The hospital is in a state of chaos and I need every helping hand I can get. I would normally send Hinata but she's in preparation for taking over the Hyuga Clan. We are short of highly skilled kunoichi I'm afraid and Tenten is the only choice left. Even though she is inexperienced, she is skilled in other areas and the most likely to succeed. I believe she will learn quickly enough under your tutelage."

At her last comment, Tsunade's gaze intensified on the lazy boy and Shikamaru nodded in understanding as a silent conversation passed between the two. Tenten wondered what she had meant by 'learning under Shikamaru's tutelage' but she had a feeling that it could not mean anything good.

"If the mission flows smoothly, it'll take you about three weeks to complete. That's assuming everything goes accordingly. If none of you have any questions, I suggest you start packing," Tsunade advised. "I'm allocating Shikamaru team captain. You leave in an hour."

The four figures bowed deeply before exiting the room. Both Sasuke and Shikamaru departed wordlessly, leaving Tenten and Neji to themselves. Tenten wasn't quite sure what to say so she didn't say anything at all. And Neji wasn't the most talkative person in the world so they both wandered down the corridor in silence and the brunette could feel an awkward tension arising between two of them.

The bun haired girl was long over her feelings for the Hyuga prodigy but the fact that he was still her teammate did not help the situation that she was about to seduce another man at all. If anything, it made the entire mission more unpleasant and arduous especially with Sasuke and Shikamaru accompanying them.

"You seem very disconcerted," Neji observed suddenly, breaking Tenten out of her reverie.

"Well it's my first time going on one of these missions," the girl replied with a light laugh at his statement. "Wouldn't you be feeling the same way?"

"I suppose," he responded without looking at her. "But you can't let your personal feelings get in the way of the mission. You must overcome them in order to be successful."

"I know that," Tenten rolled her eyes petulantly. "I'm not an idiot."

"Unlike some others that we're acquainted with."

Tenten could feel her lips curve upwards into a soft smile. Neji obviously meant Lee whose personal feelings came in the way of every mission they went on. Lee, though irritating and childish, was absolutely loveable and innocent with everyone's best intentions at heart. The green clad boy could really get on her nerves at times but the brunette couldn't help but love him. He was, in many ways, like the little brother she had always wanted but never had.

"Don't be mean," she chided the Byakugan user as they stepped out into the busy streets of Konoha. "Lee will be Lee. He's just so passionate about everything."

"It's a wonder how he hasn't gotten himself killed yet," Neji answered with a derisive tone. "When his feelings get in the way he always goes off on his own agenda no matter the situation. He's almost as bad as Naruto."

"They are quite similar," Tenten conceded thoughtfully. "However, I still think Lee is worse."

"Much worse," Neji nodded in fervent agreement, his features grimacing at past memories. "Especially when he is with Guy Sensei."

A small groan escaped Tenten's lips as the memories of the two men flooded clearly into her mind – challenging each other, coming up with their own ludicrous rules and always striving for the unimaginable impossible.

"They are a deadly combo, those two," she muttered agonisingly as they walked through the crowd of bodies. "I'm surprised Tsunade-sama hasn't put a restraining order on both of them with all the antics they get up to."

"I will never understand them," Neji shook his head contemptuously. "It's a miracle that either one of us haven't been driven insane from their ridiculous tomfoolery."

"It's good to know their nature isn't contagious," Tenten laughed wholeheartedly.

"For that, I am grateful."

As silence descended between the two, the brunette found herself glancing at her teammate tenderly. They were walking side by side and even though he wasn't that much taller than she was, Tenten still had to crane her neck and tilt her head upwards to view his face.

It was no secret that the Hyuga prodigy was good looking. Even since their academy days, Neji had always been an attractive boy with his own fan club of squealing girls, gushing over his appearance and rare talent. But now, he was just devastatingly and impossibly handsome. Years of gruelling training saw his lean body transform into something much more muscular and toned. His ivory eyes had always been mysteriously appealing but they seemed to mature over time, making them even more striking beautiful and intimidating. His skin was a silken canvas, clear of any blemish and his jaw line was strongly defined as if chiselled from stone. Tenten didn't know how someone could be so unfairly captivating in the looks department. To top it all off he was the Hyuga prodigy and an honoured fighter.

Gazing at him now, she understood why she used to like Neji. But in the same instance she also understood that they were only ever expected to be friends and teammates. He deserved someone much worthier than herself, someone who would stand by his side and uphold the honour of the Hyuga Clan. That is why she decided to banish her feelings for him. Because she would never be considered as a suitable candidate for his affections and so she made the choice to stop loving him before someone else could. However, it still didn't mean she couldn't appreciate him for who he was.

At that moment, Tenten could feel the crowd squeezing her against Neji. His body felt warm and solid and the contact of his skin on hers sent little shivers radiating all over her body. She could feel his toned arm muscles through his shirt and she imagined what it would be like to have those strong arms wrapped around her, holding her close. Immediately, Tenten mentally smacked herself for having such thoughts. She was over him and having those types of notions would not help.

"It's time we head our separate ways," Neji stated once they were out of the centre of the village. "I shall see you in an hour."

Tenten nodded wordlessly before parting down one of the streets to her apartment. As she began packing the essentials for the trip, it began to dawn on her the severity of the mission and the dire need to triumph. It was undoubtedly going to be the most challenging assignment she had ever gone on. Not only was she supposed to seduce a man with no experience whatsoever, she was to spend the next three weeks, and possibly more, at the mercy of three calculating, arrogant, dominant men.

-X-

Tenten made sure to arrive at the front gates of Konoha right on time. Shikamaru, Neji and Sasuke were already waiting patiently, unspeaking as she approached them, and the brunette already knew she'd be the one doing all the talking on this mission.

"Great conversation you boys are having over here," she addressed them sarcastically and in return, received the famous Uchiha scowl from Sasuke.

"Look, this is just troublesome as it is, so I'd appreciate if you'd just cooperate," Shikamaru drawled pointedly at Tenten, running a hand over his head.

"Everything is troublesome for you," the bun haired girl replied but the Nara prodigy ignored her.

"Right, well since we're all here I wanted to run through the plan I've devised," he expressed before shoving his hands in his pockets. "It'll take a week to get to Kumogakure so we'll head out in a single file formation. Neji, you'll lead the group out front. Use your Byakugan to scan for any traps or enemies that might be around. I'll be second in the line-up and I'll use hand signals to communicate with the others. Next will be Sasuke – because of your Sharingan, if we encounter the enemy you'll be able to provide support at either the front or back. And Tenten, you'll be rear guard. Your long range attacks will provide us with back up plus you can lay down traps if we are in pursuit."

All three shinobi nodded in agreement and Tenten couldn't help but feel impressed by Shikamaru's quick planning. He certainly wasn't Konoha's top strategist for nothing.

"Lady Tsunade gave me a map of Kumogakure, however we still don't have the exact location of where Ryoku's home is," Shikamaru continued with a slight yawn. "We will have to collect some information while we're on our way."

"I suggest we trade in our shinobi garbs for some civilian clothes once we get to the border of the Land of Lightning," Sasuke proposed in his low voice. "We must keep a low profile and Tenten will definitely need to change in order to seduce Ryoku."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement.

"Alright, stay alert and focused. We don't know what we're up against yet and the enemy may realise we're after them. We'll come up with the rest of the strategy as we go along."

Once everything had been affirmed, the four shinobi took off into the trees and bound their way into the forest. Tenten could feel the nerves beginning to flutter in her stomach. The entire mission depended on her getting the information out of Ryoku and she knew that she just had to do her best and try for the sake of the village. Plus she had Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke to protect her if things went horribly wrong, right? Not that the weapons mistress actually thought she'd need their help. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself.

However, Tenten didn't know if she could survive the next few weeks with the three most uncommunicative people she had ever met. If Lee or Ino was on this mission at least she'd have someone to talk to. Well, she had Neji, but then again he wasn't a big fan of small talk. Shikamaru was too lazy to hold a proper conversation and Sasuke, well, he was just too intimidating to speak to. The raven haired boy spoke even less than Neji did and Neji said a limit of three words a day.

Tenten often wondered at how Sakura fell for the Uchiha prodigy. She had never met someone more stoic or cold as Sasuke, except for maybe Neji, but then again at least the Hyuga had some shred of compassion. Sure, he was good looking and gifted, but the phrase 'if looks could kill' was kind of a reality when it came to Sasuke. During their days as a Genin, Sasuke always had a fiercely intense persona and most people would shy away from him. But since he began dating Sakura a couple of years back, his features had relaxed and he seemed, at the very least, a bit more inviting towards other people. The pink haired girl balanced him out quite nicely and they made such a sweet couple.

On the other hand, Ino and Shikamaru was a chaotic mess of a relationship. Tenten really liked her blonde friend but she knew that the girl was very high maintenance and Shikamaru was the laziest person she had ever met and lived for the simple things in life. So it astounded the brunette to no end at how the couple were managing to work it all out.

And then there was Hinata and Naruto. Their relationship was simple and charming. The couple was so endearing it was impossible for the two to not be together. Tenten remembered having to persuade Neji why that 'dobe' was good enough for his cousin. It took a while but the Hyuga prodigy mellowed out eventually and accepted their relationship.

Tenten sighed gloomily. Once again she was the only one out of all of her girlfriends who wasn't in a serious relationship. She would always sit and listen, unwillingly, to all the wild sex stories Ino would spout, she would smile at the romantic outings Sasuke planned for Sakura and she would offer advice and encouragement to Hinata when she needed it.

The bun haired girl felt rather out of place and a twinge of jealousy ran through her body. Before each of her friends had their respective partners, Tenten noticed that the girls always encountered a lot of attention from other males. However, the brunette never quite received the bouquets of flowers, boxes of chocolate or admiring gazes that Ino, Sakura and Hinata did. She knew she wasn't precariously gorgeous like Ino or effortlessly beautiful like Sakura or elegantly pretty like Hinata but she never thought of herself as horrendously ugly. Yet, no one ever asked her out or made a gesture to show they were genuinely interested in her and it made Tenten realise that she was probably more cut out for weapons than boys anyway.

Tenten glanced up ahead and she could just make out Neji's figure right up front, leaping gracefully from tree to tree. He would have no problem whatsoever finding a suitable partner if he was interested. All he had to do was choose any girl he wanted and they would flock to him without a question. Neji would marry well – someone who was wealthy, came from a prestigious family and matched his good looks. And Tenten, well, she would consider herself lucky if she just got through this seduction mission.

-X-

They had been running for almost a day at top speed since they left Konoha and Neji could tell it was starting to take its toll on Tenten. He kept his Byakugan activated, scanning ahead for any booby traps, but every so often he would glance behind him to check on the rest of the team. For the first eighteen hours, Tenten was able to maintain the exhausting pace they were travelling at but now, she slowly kept falling further behind the rest of the team. He noticed that her body was subconsciously alert but her gaze was rather unfocused, as though she lost in deep thought. Neji assumed she was worried about the mission and he would consider her a fool if she wasn't. Hell, even _he_ was worried about the mission and all he had to do was take down a few shinobi.

In all truthfulness, he was nervous for Tenten. Nervous because he knew she was still innocent and pure – an 'unblossomed' flower as Lee and Gai would say. He knew that a first seduction mission could be very traumatising indeed, especially for someone with no clue as to what they are supposed to do. When Neji had first heard the nature of the mission and that Tenten was chosen to be Ryoku's seducer, he thought it was a rather cruel joke to plunge his teammate like that into the deep end. If Shikamaru hadn't spoken up and suggested using someone more skilled, he most certainly would of.

The thought of Tenten seducing another man left an unpleasant feeling in the pit of Neji's stomach. He cared about his teammate, he knew that. What he didn't know was that he probably cared about her a lot more than he should have. But a mission is a mission and this assignment depended on Tenten using her body to find out where the stolen documents are. Neji just hoped that Ryoku would relay their whereabouts to her before it could go too far.

The Byakugan user scanned behind him and saw that the bun haired girl was straggling a good ten metres behind Sasuke. So he slowed his pace ever so slightly in order for his teammate could catch up.

"Is there something wrong, Neji?" Shikamaru suddenly called out, noticing his change in speed.

The Hyuga visibly shook his head before muttering only loud enough for the Nara prodigy to hear, "Tenten."

Shikamaru whipped his head around to see the weapons mistress trailing behind Sasuke and a small smirk formed on his lips. He knew that the Hyuga always had a soft spot for his female companion to the point where it could be interpreted as over-possessive. He had wondered how this mission would affect the white-eyed prodigy once he realised that his own teammate was to be used as a sexual distraction and Shikamaru knew Neji was not happy about it. Neji had always been the reason as to why Tenten never had any admirers. He was a looming, protective shadow and most men were smart enough to realise that winning Tenten's heart was not worth fighting the Hyuga over unless they wanted to end up in a bloodied, paralysed heap in the hospital. Neji didn't even realise it himself but it was a subconscious gesture telling the world that Tenten was his and only his.

The couple were destined to be with each other, even Shikamaru couldn't deny that. Yet they were both proud and stubborn, refusing to let their romantic feelings come in the way of what they already have. Shikamaru was never the sadistic, matchmaking type. However, this mission gave him the perfect excuse to watch both Tenten and Neji flounder about their affections for one another. If anything, it would provide him with some entertainment and he was sure the Uchiha would get a kick out of it as well.

The lazy shinobi gazed up at the sky which indicated it was mid-afternoon and he decided it was time to set his plan into motion. Jeez, Ino must've been really rubbing off on him.

"It's time to stop," he announced loud enough so Tenten could hear right at the back.

All four shinobi leapt onto the forest floor and Tenten immediately slumped onto the ground with a sigh of relief.

"Finally, a break!" the weapons mistress gasped as Neji handed her a bottle of water.

"Alright, we'll set up camp here," Shikamaru suggested scanning his surroundings.

"We're pressed for time, shouldn't we keep going?" Sasuke frowned disapprovingly as the brunette shook his head.

"We need to recuperate our strength," he explained before adding slyly, "Besides, these rest breaks will provide us with the perfect opportunity."

"Opportunity for what?" Tenten inquired before standing up and dusting herself off.

"You didn't think Tsunade-sama would let you go into this mission blind, did you?" the Nara prodigy asked rhetorically with a smirk. "No, this will be a good opportunity to train you up a bit before we reach the Land of Lightening."

"Train me up?"

"Yes, Neji will help you," Shikamaru explained before a conniving smile plastered his face. "I'm going to teach you how to seduce a man."

 _ **A/N – Shikamaru, you little minx! Haha so that's chapter one finished everyone! I can't wait to get this story underway. If you like this story so far please favourite, follow and review. I'm open up to criticisms and complements and if you haven't seen my other stories check out**_ _ **Falling for the Extraordinary**_ _ **and**_ **Paper Memories** _ **which are still in progress. I'll get back to you soon!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**THANK YOU! I got so many positive reviews and pms for the first chapter and I'm so grateful. Every bit helps so keep those reviews up and fav and follow if you love this story. I can't do any of this without all of you!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**_

 **-X-**

"WHAT?!"

It took all of Shikamaru's willpower to resist the cynical smirk that was creeping onto his face at the sight of Tenten's and Neji's mortified expressions. It was difficult to decipher who was more overwhelmed; Neji or Tenten. The weapons mistress stood, eyes bugging out of her head, mouth hanging wide open whereas the Hyuga was seething with his hands balled into tight fists and pale eyes flashing murderously in Shikamaru's direction. The Nara prodigy was already beginning to enjoy himself and they hadn't even begun. Sasuke couldn't help but snicker at Neji's sudden outburst, watching as his normally calm and calculating composure crack at Shikamaru's words. He knew what the shadow user was planning and the Uchiha was willing to admit he did have a rather cruel streak in taking some delight of the suffering of others – especially the Hyuga prodigy.

Tenten however could not believe her ears. _Shikamaru_? Teaching her how to _seduce_ a man? With _Neji_ as her 'training' partner, no less? It was the most absurd idea she had ever heard and for a split second she would have preferred wearing one of Lee's and Gai's green spandex suits for the rest of her life than endure the torture of being under 'Shikamaru's tutelage' as Tsunade had phrased it.

"Tenten, I'm going to teach you a few pointers on how to seduce your target and you will practice these skills on Neji until I believe you're ready," Shikamaru explained, linking his arms behind his head in a lazy sort of gesture. "Until then, we will not come into contact with Ryoku and you will keep practicing until you've met my expectations."

"Why me?" Neji blurted angrily as he glared pointedly at the two other males who seemed very content and relaxed.

"Because you and Tenten are teammates and I believe she will learn quicker if she practices with someone she trusts," Shikamaru began, listing off all the reasons on his fingers. "Sasuke and I are already in relationships with other people, plus I'm team captain and I've ordered you to do it."

"Is this really necessary?" Tenten grumbled, folding her arms tightly across her chest as a symbol of defiance. "I mean, I can just utilise what I've been taught during Jounin lessons and just practice on my own without a partner."

"No," the brunette boy stated firmly. "I have analysed the situation and have constructed the best possible plan in which we can successfully complete this mission. I want you to have practical experience, because if you blow your cover with Ryoku, you will most likely get yourself killed with us alongside you in the process. It is imperative that your masquerade is absolutely flawless if we wish to be victorious, otherwise one of us, if not all of us, may die. I am not asking you to do this, I am telling you to do this for the sake of the mission. You too, Neji. You will do as I say or risk your own death. It's your choice."

Tenten's brain whirred away as she attempted to find a loophole in Shikamaru's analysis but unfortunately the shadow user was way too logical for his own good. So, she was expected to take instruction from Shikamaru Nara, the most lethargic person she had ever met, in order to seduce her very physically attractive teammate and ex-crush until the lazy prick deemed her 'ready' to begin the mission. This predicament couldn't possibly get any more wrong. But at the end of the day she would rather endure the torture of practicing her tempting skills on Neji than experience the torment of being responsible for her friend's deaths. So she thought.

"Fine," the brunette huffed hotly, trying to keep whatever dignity she had left. "Let's get this over and done with."

"Right, this is going to be troublesome as it is so if you could start off by telling me what they taught you at your kunoichi lessons I'll be able to get a grasp at where you're skill levels are at," Shikamaru reckoned before taking a seat on the ground next to Sasuke who seemed most amused.

"Um, well we never did any practical stuff," Tenten explained, trying to keep down the blush that was slowly burning in her cheeks. "They taught us to always get the man intoxicated first – men are easier to seduce when they have alcohol in their system. We were told to be alluring, flirtatious and witty and to probe very carefully in order to coax out information."

"Is that all they taught you?" the Nara prodigy raised a discerning eyebrow as Tenten nodded silently. "Jeez, you're worse off than I thought."

"I guess they kind of assumed that by the time we're Jounin we would already have some life experience," the weapons mistress explained sheepishly, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Clearly, that's not the case here," Sasuke spoke up with a smug smile and both Neji and Tenten glowered at him.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, running an exasperated hand over his face. "Right, I'm going to get you to focus on your physical awareness. When you're seducing a man, your body is your most useful weapon. You need to learn how to utilise it to its fullest potential in order to get the best results. I want you to face Neji."

Tenten pulled a face but nonetheless, did as she was told and strolled over until she was face to face with the Hyuga.

"Good, now kiss him."

If Neji hadn't been in control of himself he would have choked on his own saliva. Luckily he was a professional when it came to masking his emotions during the uncovering of unpleasant situations such as this. Tenten however, was having a much more challenging time trying to contain her shock and chagrin. He watched as she slowly grew redder in the face until the point where it looked almost painful. He had never pinned Shikamaru as the sadistic type, however he was proving to be enjoying himself a little too much. Sasuke was no different and Neji had the irresistible urge to wipe the smug smile off the Uchiha's face.

"What do you mean kiss him? I can't just kiss him!" Neji heard Tenten splutter frantically.

"Shikamaru, is this really necessary?" The Hyuga prodigy scowled at him with gritted teeth. "Shouldn't we wait until she's more comfortable before you –"

"No," the brunette boy interposed sharply, causing Neji's scowl to deepen further. "She needs to get used to this now so she has more time refine it later. We can't waste time sitting around at hers and your convenience."

Tenten felt like her chest was imploding and her stomach was disintegrating. _Kiss Neji?_ Tenten couldn't remember how many times she had fantasised about this moment when she was younger and now it felt like some sick joke that she was getting her wish. Two years ago, the brunette would have wanted nothing more than to be in the position she was in at this point in time, but now it just felt sick and wrong. She didn't expect to have her first kiss with Neji in a forest, in front of Sasuke and Shikamaru for the sake of stupid mission.

"Just kiss him Tenten," the Nara prodigy voiced tiredly and impatiently.

Tenten sighed hopelessly and gazed up at Neji, offering him an apologetic expression before she leaned in, tilting her face upwards, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his. It was a simple, brief kiss. Just the barest brushing of lips and Tenten expected to feel nothing. No burning desire, no lustful passion, no need to want more. This was part of the mission after all, she should and would not enjoy kissing Neji.

However, her body had other plans. As soon as her lips came into contact with his, a current of electricity radiated throughout her entire body, melting her heart and burning under her lips. The kiss itself only lasted for a second but Tenten felt like her entire existence had been pulled apart and reassembled and a blazing flame began flickering in her stomach. She pulled away and did not dare look at the white-eyed prodigy.

"That was awful," Shikamaru suddenly spoke up with a groan. "You're supposed to be _seductive_. If you do that we'll all be dead before we even get into Ryoku's compound. That was the type of kiss a ten year old kid would do."

At Shikamaru's last comment Sasuke snickered with obvious amusement and Tenten diverted her attention away from Neji and directed her emotions at the Uchiha prodigy.

"What's so funny, Uchiha?" Tenten demanded hotly and the boy silently shrugged. "Why don't you make yourself useful and set up camp instead of sitting around and doing nothing."

"I'm not doing nothing," Sasuke defended himself, unaffected by the glares he was receiving from both Neji and Tenten. "I am being thoroughly entertained."

"What you like watching other people kiss each other? What a pervert," the weapons mistress muttered in disgust.

"If I was a pervert I would be receiving some sort of sexual satisfaction viewing your actions," the raven haired boy countered rationally, running a hand through his unruly hair. "I can assure you I receive no such pleasure watching you kiss like a ten year old."

At his last statement, his arrogant smirk widened and Tenten couldn't help but take a kunai out of her holster in order to shut the Uchiha up for good.

"Sasuke, enough," Shikamaru chided him. "Tenten put the weapon away, you're here to train so keep practicing."

A long, tense silence passed between the two. Tenten hadn't moved from her position – crouched down, ready to cut out Sasuke's tongue. The brunette could feel the penetrating gaze of Shikamaru fixated on her, waiting for her to back down. With her eyes never leaving the Uchiha prodigy, Tenten returned the kunai back to its holster before giving Shikamaru her attention.

"Now, let's get back to the matter at hand," the shadow user drawled before turning to face Neji and Tenten. "Kiss Neji again but I want it to be longer and more passionate, remember you're trying to give this man the best time of his life in order to extract information."

"I don't know how to be passionate," the brunette protested.

"Well use your body for one thing," Shikamaru advised as he leant his cheek against his hand. "Move closer to one another, use your hands and be more forceful. Neji, help her out, don't just stand there like a brick wall."

The Hyuga made a disapproving sound at being compared to a brick wall and Tenten took a step forward so that they were almost touching. He was so close that the weapons mistress could feel the heat of his body radiating from under his clothing and onto her own skin. She gazed up into his eyes which were inscrutable and marvelled at how insanely perfect his features were. Neji was undeniably captivating and it was damn near impossible to not be physically attracted to him.

The brunette watched Neji incline his head before placing his hands on her waist and Tenten forced herself not to blush at the sudden contact. He leaned down and his lips were about to capture hers until they both heard a sound that sounded like a strangled cat.

"Sasuke!" Tenten snapped her head around but before she could put a kunai to his throat Shikamaru stepped in between the two.

"That's enough!" the Nara prodigy ordered severely before sighing lazily. "Perhaps we should go about this a different way."

Tenten's eyes did not leave Sasuke for a single moment and would have liked to have unleashed a barrage of weapons to impale his arrogant, pretty face. Sasuke, on the other hand, couldn't have been more thoroughly beguiled. He sat calmly, hands placed gently in his lap as he stared at the seething weapons mistress. She was rather cute all riled up, not that he was thinking such things, but he could see why the Hyuga would like her.

"Ok, Neji and Tenten, you guys can go practice by yourselves while Sasuke and I set up camp for the night," Shikamaru formulated evenly as he watched the Byakugan user scowl and fold his arms. "That way there'll be no distractions and when you've finished you can show me how much you have progressed."

"Great, sounds like a plan," Tenten huffed before grabbing a very surprised Neji's by the wrist.

The brunette through the raven haired boy one more loathsome glare before stomping off into the glade, dragging along her teammate behind her.

There was a silence and stillness between the two men as they both stared at the spot where Tenten and Neji had just been. Shikamaru turned around slowly, a triumphant smirk etched upon his face.

Sasuke shook his head with what seemed like disbelief before voicing with a hint of credulity, "Shikamaru, you son of a bitch."

-X-

"What a stuck up dick!"

Tenten was still fuming as she and Neji headed deeper into the forest. Neji followed her quietly as she trudged noisily through the underbrush, the fallen leaves crinkling under her feet. He knew that if there was an enemy around they would certainly hear the brunettes little 'tantrum' but in all honesty, he found it rather amusing watching Tenten simmer.

"I swear if he ever comes near me again I'll slit his throat," the bun haired girl promised to herself. "He thinks he's so great? Let's see how great he is when he's got a hundred weapons sticking out of his face!"

"You really shouldn't let him get to you like that," Neji advised softly, aware that they were still on the move.

He realised that Tenten probably didn't even know where she was going so he mentally made notes in his head of the route they had taken so they could get back.

"Get to me?!" the weapons mistress voiced almost shrilly before laughing humourlessly. "I'll show him. I'll slice his dick in –"

"Do you even know where you're going?" the Hyuga prodigy interposed quickly before more obscenities could be uttered from her lips.

"Away from the stupid, egocentric Uchiha!" Tenten replied scathingly before Neji grabbed her by the hand and spun her around so that she was facing him.

"I think we've gone far enough," he told her, his eyes penetrating into hers and Tenten could only nod.

He released her hand which dropped by her side like a pendulum. Tenten rubbed her temples in frustration before taking a deep breath.

"Sorry, Neji," she apologised. "It's just…nerve wracking."

"I know. Remember it's no less comfortable for me than it is for you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's for the mission, right? We just need to do it."

Neji nodded simply before repeating, "For the mission."

"You males are so lucky you don't have to do missions like these," Tenten intoned with a hint of envy in her voice.

"We do actually," the boy replied and Tenten's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"What?"

"Sometimes we are sent off on seduction missions, just not as frequent as you females," Neji explained with indifference. "There aren't very many rogue kunoichi but every so often one of us might be sent off on such a mission."

Tenten was stunned. She had never heard of such a thing before, but she really shouldn't have been shocked. She wasn't sexist by any account, but she had never actually given it any thought that guys could go off on seduction missions too. In a way, it kind of changed her perspective on things and she wondered how many of her male friends had to undertake these assignments. Wait. What about Neji? Had he been sent to seduce some other female before? Did she really want to find out? Tenten didn't know. She felt uneasy at the prospect that Neji had possibly tempted another woman and she wasn't sure if that changed her outlook on him or not.

"H-have you?" the weapons mistress asked her teammate, trying not to sound too interested.

"Have I what?"

"Been sent on a seduction mission?"

Tenten watched as Neji's lips curved downwards into a frown before he answered, "No."

The girl felt a rush of relief and curiosity wash over her at the same time.

"Oh, why not?"

The Hyuga prodigy's eyes narrowed and he cast his gaze away from her.

"It's none of your business," he answered coolly, effectively ending the conversation. "Besides we're here to practice your seduction skills, not to discuss mine."

"Right," Tenten agreed despondently at his reaction.

She had a feeling he was hiding something from her and now she was more curious than ever to find out what it was.

"Shall we begin?" Neji inquired and the brunette nodded. "Do you remember what Shikamaru said to you?"

Tenten rolled her eyes and inclined her head to one side.

"He said be passionate and use my hands," she recited blandly. "Not at all helpful."

"You just need to try."

Tenten could feel the butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach as she took a step towards Neji. She wasn't quite sure what to do so she just placed her hand on the nape of his neck and brought his lips down to hers. And just like their first kiss had affected her, the second was no different. The smouldering feeling began to spread through her body and her skin beneath her lips tingled. It was a rather chaste kiss but Tenten was finding it rather difficult to focus on the advice Shikamaru had given her because all she could think about was the way Neji's mouth pressed against hers, almost like his lips were fitted perfectly for her.

She could feel Neji's body lean in to hers so they were touching. She breathed in his heady scent - fresh and intoxicating and he placed his hands on her waist, pulling her in closer. In an instance she could feel his lips part and Tenten's mind went into overdrive. The flickering flame in her stomach seemed to blaze alight and spread throughout her entire body and her entire surroundings seemed to disappear. The brunette responded by kissing him harder and more urgently and her body seemed to melt into his. All of a sudden she was hyperaware of everything – the way Neji's fingers were gingerly spread across her sides, her arms curving around his chiselled neck, the way his body slid against hers. It was pure heaven and Tenten never wanted it to stop. But sometime soon they would both need to resurface for air.

Tenten managed to break the kiss, breath unsteady as she moved away from Neji. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and she was struggling to control her breathing. She was sure her face was flushed and her hands were shaking with the effort of not kissing him again. She gazed up into her teammate's face who seemed rather unfazed. She could see the pulse in his neck beating soft and calm. Tenten suddenly felt a flow of anger and hurt towards the boy. The fact that he wasn't as revved up as she was infuriated her.

Neji watched Tenten as she struggled to get her breath back, knowing he was just barely able to keep his breathing under control. He mentally scolded himself for having such a reaction. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed the kiss. Probably a little too much. When she had first kissed him when they were in the presence of Sasuke and Shikamaru, it came as such a shock that he didn't even register that she had kissed him until the Nara prodigy commented. This time now that they were on their own, he could truly feel her lips on his and though he had mentally prepared himself not to react to the sudden contact. His body, on the other hand, decided to react very differently.

His physical control seemed to have a mind of its own and before he knew it, he was taking charge and dare he say it, enjoying himself. He couldn't deny the pleasure he felt when he gripped Tenten's body to his or when she responded to his hungry kiss. But he reminded himself that he was still a young man in his sexual prime with hormones and his body was going to behave instinctively to the touch of another woman. He convinced himself that he would have reacted that way to any woman and that there was no possible way he could be attracted to Tenten.

"That was better," Neji concluded to break the silence and the brunette replied with a nod of her head. "You need to be more forceful, take charge and use your body more."

"I know," Tenten grumbled, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

"You don't need to hold back. I'm your partner and teammate and this is for the mission remember," Neji stated somewhat lamely. "There are no feeling between us so there's no reason to restrain yourself. Think of me as Ryoku."

Tenten wanted to laugh at his words. If only he knew how she used to feel, what she was feeling now. The old crush creeping back up thanks to this stupid mission. But of course, for Neji, everything was about the mission and he always did whatever it took to make sure it succeed even if he hated doing what needed to be done.

"Shall we continue?" the boy queried and Tenten answered by kissing him.

Once again, Tenten had the sensation that her brain was melting through her body but this time she put all of her emotions into the kiss – the anger, humiliation, frustration, _love_. She kissed him roughly, hands in his soft hair and his flat stomach slid against hers. God, he was a good kisser and Tenten could feel her skin burning at his touch.

As soon as Tenten had kissed him, Neji's body knew exactly what to do. She seemed to have taken in what he had said to her and she was relentless, unrestrained as she melded her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her torso and her hands ran through his hair. He couldn't think properly and the only images that were running through his mind was to get closer to Tenten, as close as possible. Her lips felt urgent and wanting so Neji kissed her even more forcefully until it felt like he was devouring her. A heat seemed to spread across his abdomen and to his southern regions. It felt like a battle. The more she pushed him, the more forceful he retaliated. As they always did in training, they tried to outdo each other and this felt the exact same way except with a whole lot more sexual tension.

Neji was the first one to break the kiss and Tenten was still aching with the desire to kiss him again. She hated this feeling of being out of control and feeling weak. But she felt a little more satisfied as she watched Neji attempting to compose himself from their kiss.

"Was that better?" she asked and Neji could detect the taunting edge in her voice.

"You've still got a long way to go," the Hyuga replied evenly and Tenten could feel herself flush with embarrassment and rage at his words. "I think we're done for the day."

"What?" Tenten blinked. "But I need to keep practising."

"You've got plenty of time to do that," Neji reminded her.

In truth, Neji was done for the day. If they kept going he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself much longer and he didn't really want her to notice his 'problem' poking into her while they were making out. That was the last thing he needed right now.

"Neji, I need to get this perfected as soon as I can!" Tenten protested, hoping she didn't sound too eager.

"We've been running for over a day, we're both tired and it's about to get dark soon," the white-eyed prodigy spoke. "We should head back and help Shikamaru and Sasuke before it gets dark. We will continue tomorrow."

"Who died and made you leader?" Tenten murmured sarcastically.

"I am next in command if anything happened to Shikamaru," Neji pointed out. "Now let's go. I am sure the Uchiha will have something to say if we are gone too long."

And that was all the motivation that Tenten needed to hear to speed off back to camp with Neji tailing her contentedly from behind.

 _ **A/N – Thanks for reading guys! This was such a hard chapter to write and I hope I did it justice. I'm loving Sasuke at the moment, what a sassy dude. Fav, follow and review it all helps!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry I haven't updated in a while guys but I've been so busy it's crazy! Anyway enjoy the third chapter to this story. I've had so much positive feedback and I think it's the fan fav out of all my stories so far and I've only done two chapters! Remember to fav, follow and review!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**_

 **-X-**

Tenten hadn't realised how far she had led Neji into the woods until it took a good fifteen minute walk back to where Shikamaru and Sasuke had set up camp. The sky was begin to change from blue-yellow to orange-red and if it hadn't been for Neji's Byakugan they would have been disastrously lost. However, they made it back to the clearing to find Sasuke tending a small fire and Shikamaru setting down the bedding in a U-shape around the burning logs.

The Uchiha glanced up from tending the flames as he noticed the two figures heading towards them and he couldn't help the sardonic smirk that now dominated his features.

"Done already?"

It took all of Tenten's willpower to resist snapping Sasuke's neck in half. She could hear Neji growl softly from beside her and she guessed that she wasn't the only one who wanted the raven haired boy beaten to a pulp.

"Even if that were so, it's longer than you could ever do," the weapons mistress retorted haughtily before sitting across from him on a log that had been dragged out. "I hear from Sakura that you finish within about five minutes. Is that all the great Uchiha can do?"

Both Neji and Shikamaru made sounds of supressed laughter and Tenten could feel the smug satisfaction welling in her chest as she watched Sasuke's expression morph from jeering to humiliated anger. In all honesty, she probably shouldn't have kept her mouth shut but he deserved a taste of his own medicine.

Sasuke could feel rage flaring throughout his body and if he hadn't had such good control over his composure he would have snarled at the girl. Instead he took a breath and relaxed his tense shoulders before replying, "You ought to learn to not comment on subjects you know nothing about. After all, you're the _inexperienced_ one with no sexual experience whatsoever. It's rather pathetic that you have to be taught all these things."

Tenten could feel herself turning three different shades of red and Sasuke knew what he had said hit the mark. She opened her mouth to retort but nothing came out so she just gave Sasuke one last loathsome glare before turning her back on him. The raven haired boy couldn't remember a time where he had felt more thoroughly enjoyed. The kunoichi was feisty, stubborn and defensive which made it all the more satisfying for Sasuke when he mocked her.

"Let's get dinner ready," Neji suggested before turning to Tenten expectantly who nodded in understanding.

She pulled a small scroll out of her pocket before unravelling it onto the ground and muttering a summoning jutsu. A split second later, and a tray piled with rice balls, dried fruits, nuts and tender meats appeared alongside a frying pan which Tenten picked up before planting herself in front of the fire.

"I'll cook the meat," the brunette said as she placed the pan on top of glowing coals. "You boys can start dividing the dry food into four equal portions."

The three men nodded before silently grabbing a plate from Tenten and serving up the food. The air was suddenly filled with the sound of sizzling as Tenten tossed the cuts of meat into the pan. After the meat had been cooked she scraped a portion onto each of the four plates and the shinobi began digging in ravenously.

"Right, let's go over tomorrow's plan," Shikamaru spoke up once they were halfway through their meal. "We'll begin travelling again at first light and continue on to Suna. We shouldn't encounter any problems on the way there and once we get to the village we can recuperate a bit more and Tenten can continue with her training. Plus, we can stock up on supplies and buy some different clothes for when we near Kumogakure."

"Perhaps we should gather some intel on Ryoku as well," Neji suggested. "Ask around and see if anyone knows anything about him."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement before eating a mouthful of food.

"The Kazekage should have files on him and I'm sure he won't be averse to sharing the information with us."

"Gaara?" Tenten piqued up with interest. "I haven't seen him in the longest time. I'm sure Temari will be happy to see you again Nara prodigy grunted disapprovingly at Tenten's sly remark.

"Actually, maybe you should alert her to the fact that you're now dating Ino," the brunette suggested. "It's not nice to give people false hope you know."

"We will not be lingering around any longer than necessary," Shikamaru interposed sharply and Tenten knew it was just a cover up so he wouldn't have to face the scary blonde.

"Coward," she muttered, shaking her head slightly as Sasuke snickered across from her and the lazy boy rolled his eyes in response.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence and once they had finished, Tenten ordered her teammates to rinse their plates in the river before she returned everything back into the scroll. Dusk was upon them and the brunette was absolutely exhausted. It was hard to believe that only an hour ago she had been forced to learn how to kiss with Neji as her training partner. It had turned out to be a very strange day indeed and she had a feeling that the worst was still yet to come.

"We should turn in early and restore our strength," the pineapple haired boy stated as he stretched his arms above his head. "I'll go on first watch and we will rotate every few hours: Tenten, Sasuke and then Neji. I'll alert you if anything happens."

Everyone nodded in understanding before Shikamaru leapt up into one of the trees and settling himself on a thick branch. Tenten slid into her sleeping bag, moving slightly closer to the fire to keep warm. She noticed she was only three metres away from where Neji lay and – thank god – opposite of where Sasuke slept. Within half an hour, both prodigies were fast asleep but Tenten was wide awake, eyes open and hands folded gently on her stomach. The stars were beginning to shine through the wispy clouds and the wood on their fire crackled and popped. The brunette closed her eyes attempting to drift off into sleep. An hour passed and even though she was physically and mentally drained, her body still refused rest. Instead, she crawled out of her sleeping bag and jumped up onto the branch Shikamaru was guarding from.

The Nara prodigy looked weary and bored, one leg dangling over the branch while his other leg was drawn into his chest.

"You should rest. We've got a full day of running to do tomorrow," the boy advised as Tenten sat next to him.

"If I could sleep, I would," Tenten answered with a small sigh.

She gazed downwards and realised they were a good thirty metres above the ground. She could still make out Sasuke's and Neji's sleeping figures and the moon was directly above them. A chilly breeze began to pick up and a shiver radiated over Tenten's body which didn't go unnoticed by the boy sitting next to her.

"You should sit next to the fire where it's warmer."

"It's fine," Tenten assured him casually as she stretched her back delicately.

"You won't be saying that once your fingers and toes begin falling off."

The weapons mistress rolled her eyes before glancing at Shikamaru. She could just make out his face in the dim moonlight but his expression remained blank.

"Do you really want me gone that badly?" she asked sarcastically.

"I never said I did."

"Well, you're heavily implying it."

"Don't assume things."

"I'm not assuming, I'm stating it how it is."

"You're too troublesome," the man muttered, throwing his head back to gaze at the night sky and Tenten grinned lightly. "You're crucial to the mission. We can't have you getting hurt, sick or impaired in any sort of way."

"I know," the bun haired girl said sombrely. "You don't have to keep reminding me."

"It's ok to be afraid. I remember going on my first seduction mission."

Tenten eyes widened with curiosity and shock as she stared at the Nara prodigy.

"You've been on a seduction mission?"

Shikamaru let out a short humourless laugh as he turned to face the weapons mistress.

"Yeah, I failed though," he told her. "I miscalculated and overestimated my abilities and my client managed to get away."

"You failed?" Tenten murmured in disbelief. "Wow, never thought I'd hear you say that."

"None of us are perfect."

"I guess so. Does Ino know you've gone on a seduction mission before?"

"Sure," Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't feel the need to hide things like that from her."

"More like you can't," the weapons mistress smiled. "I bet she digs into your mind using some Mind Reading Jutsu. She does that on me a lot."

"It's troublesome, I grant you."

"I couldn't agree more," Tenten mused as she tucked a few strands of stray hair behind her ear. "How long do you think my training will take?"

"As long as is necessary," Shikamaru answered truthfully. "You've got a long road ahead of you. We have to get you more physically prepared in order to seduce Ryoku. I don't know if you've thought about it or not but you – "

"I have," the brunette broke in, her body tensing at the thought.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as he stared at the bun haired girl. Her lips were pursed into a tight, thin line and eyes were intense and downcast. He knew she was scared and she had every right to be. If he had been her position he would have pissed himself knowing that there was a high possibility that he would lose his virginity to a complete stranger in order to complete the mission. Ino had been sent on several missions where she had to prostitute herself to other men and although she was no longer 'innocent' he knew it was still no more pleasant or any less traumatising for her. So he could only just imagine the fear and mental torment that Tenten was going through.

"I'm hoping it won't come to that though," the brunette boy spoke up softly. "I'm betting on him confessing the whereabouts of the missing scrolls before anything can get too serious."

"You're not very good at cheering people up," Tenten pulled a face but sighed calmly.

"I'm just being realistic not optimistic," Shikamaru pointed out as he readjusted his position on the tree branch. "However, hoping never really got anyone anywhere."

"And now you've converted to pessimistic," the weapons mistress threw her hands up in mock exasperation. "You sure change philosophies fast."

"You're too troublesome."

"Everyone is troublesome to you."

Shikamaru dismissed her remark and a quietness passed between the two. Subconsciously, Tenten drew a kunai out of her holster and began twirling it around her fingers before scraping the bark off the tree branch. It was a little habit of hers, fiddling around with a weapon to distract herself. She cast her eyes downward and focused on Neji's sleeping figure. He always looked more captivating when he slept. His normally sharp, focused features were much more serene and relaxed and the air of authority and power around him seemed to slip away. Instead he looked much more tranquil and vulnerable and his pale skin glowed luminously under the moonlight.

An inaudible sigh escaped her lips. She hated feeling this way – caught between what was right and what she wanted. She wanted to love him, for him to love her but she knew it would never happen. They weren't destined to be together. He was a god, the pride of the Hyuga clan and an honoured shinobi whereas she was just…Tenten. Fate was cruel, putting Neji beside her, knowing they would never be able to be with one another and breaking her heart.

Shikamaru caught the brunette's saddened expression and knew immediately she was thinking about Neji. He had never really felt sorry for anyone before but he couldn't help but feel sympathy towards the bun haired kunoichi. Neji was proud, much more than he or even Sasuke was. But at the same time he was a lot more susceptible to his emotions, as hard as tried to conceal them. Somehow, the Hyuga was just too dense to realise that he couldn't be with any other woman except Tenten. The Nara prodigy hoped that by then end of this mission, should it succeed, that Neji will finally come to terms with his feelings and the couple would be just as happy as the rest of their friends are.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep since you're already up," Shikamaru voiced before standing up and stretching his body.

"That's fine," Tenten replied, craning her neck upwards so she could see his face. "I'll wake Sasuke in a couple of hours. Hopefully by then I'll feel the need to fall asleep."

The boy nodded before leaping gracefully to the ground and sinking into his sleeping bag leaving Tenten to ponder about the stupidest prodigy Shikamaru had ever met.

-X-

It wasn't even first light but Neji had woken the rest of the squad in order to head out as quickly as possible. It took five minutes to pack up camp and the four shinobi bounded into the thick trees in the direction of Suna. A day into their running and the earthy ground turned into sand and on the second day they reached the Sand Village. Tenten had noted on their journey how many words were exchanged throughout the two day trip. Let's just say the amount of words that were said between the four of them wouldn't have formed a one line sentence. It was dark once they had reached the front entrance to Suna and Tenten felt as though she was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion.

"We finally made it!" she gasped, placing her hands on her knees to steady her breathing.

"Luckily we didn't run into any problems along the way," Shikamaru asserted as they passed through the entrance. "Let's quickly find an inn and set up base there. We will sleep and then we can go stock up on supplies and gather information in the morning before heading out."

Everyone was tired from the journey and didn't argue as Shikamaru led them to the nearest inn. It was small and quaint, made of sandstone and a small elderly man, who Tenten guessed was the inn keeper, greeted them cheerfully as they entered.

"My, you look like you've travelled a long way," the man observed as he glimpsed their headbands.

"Yes, we're looking for a place to stay," Shikamaru answered politely, "Would you have any spare rooms available for overnight?"

"I have two rooms left. Although, there is only one bed per room," the man glanced pointedly at Tenten. "I would think the young lady might prefer a room of her own. I know another establishment – "

"The two rooms will be fine," the brunette seized the opportunity to continue his matchmaking scheme. "We'll take it, thank you."

The inn keeper nodded wordlessly before bustling behind the counter and producing two room keys.

"If you need anything let me know. Enjoy your stay!"

Shikamaru turned to face his teammates with a blank expression.

"Ok, Sasuke and I will share one room and you and Tenten can have the other," he told Neji as he handed them the second key. "You two are teammates so it will be less awkward if you bunk together. Besides you'll have a room to yourselves so you two can…uh… _practice_."

Both Tenten and Neji were too weary to detect the underlying intentions in his voice and merely nodded.

"Right, get some sleep and we'll meet back here at seven o'clock in the morning."

The four shinobi made their way up the flight of stairs before heading opposite ways to their rooms. As soon as Neji had unlocked the door to their room, Tenten collapsed on the bed with a relived sigh.

"A real bed," she murmured appreciatively as she buried her face in one of the pillows. "I haven't slept in one of these in the longest time."

"Three days, Tenten," Neji reminded her as he placed their bags on a small table. "Don't tell me you're missing something as trivial as a bed already."

"Three days is a long time," the brunette defended before sitting up on the mattress. "Besides, a bed is a lot more comfortable than the ground."

"It's all part of being a shinobi."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it though."

Tenten pushed herself off of the bed before rummaging through her bag and pulling out a change of clothes.

"I'm going to have a shower," she announced as she made her way to the bathroom. "Do you mind getting out some food?"

As the prodigy shook his head, Tenten closed the door, turned the shower tap on and a gush of water streamed out of the nozzle. The water was warm and refreshing especially after running for three days covered in grime and sweat. The heat seemed to loosen all the tension throughout her body and her muscles felt less sore and much more relaxed. After a good ten minutes she switched off the tap and quickly got changed before tying her long hair back into two messy buns. As she stepped out of the bathroom she could see Neji had already placed a plate of food out for her and was now laying a few blankets by the foot of the bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked before picking up the plate of food and eating with her fingers.

"Attempting to create a makeshift bed," Neji replied as he smoothed the blankets over the floor.

"Why?" Tenten's brow furrowed with confusion as she popped a piece of dried apricot into her mouth.

Neji replied by glancing pointedly at the bed and when Tenten still didn't understand what he meant he sighed exasperatedly.

"There's only one bed, Tenten," he proclaimed like it was obvious and the brunette could only blush as realisation dawned on her.

"Oh, right," she managed with an awkward laugh. "Of course. Well I'll take the floor then. You can have the bed."

"Don't be ridiculous," Neji told her as he grabbed a pillow off the futon and nestled it at the top of the sheets on the floor. "I'll sleep on the floor and you can sleep on the mattress. We're not arguing over this."

Tenten opened her mouth to retort but she knew it was no use arguing with Neji, his logic would always triumph hers. Neji also headed for the shower and Tenten summoned a few weapons and began cleaning them. She heard the rush of water gush from the bathroom and she couldn't help but think about the intimacy of the situation. They were to spend the night together in the same room and he was standing twelve feet away from her, behind a closed door, undressed and the weapons mistress remembered the way his body felt against hers when he was kissing her, strong and dominant. Imagine if he had been shirtless with his chiselled abs sliding against her stomach and –

 _No._

Tenten halted her thoughts before they could continue any further. She was just the same as any other nineteen year old, horny girl fantasising over an unfortunately good looking boy who just happened to be her teammate no less. The fact that her old love for him was kicking up again didn't help the situation at all.

She could hear the water shut off and within a minute Neji stepped into the room in a fresh change of clothes. His hair damp and loose of its usual ponytail and wet strands of hair kept sticking to his beautiful face.

"We should continue with your training," Neji advised and Tenten raised a confused eyebrow.

"Training?" she muttered to herself before understanding struck her. "Oh, right. I wouldn't really call it training."

"It is what it is, Tenten."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to be schooled on how to be seductive."

"That is true," Neji murmured as he picked up one of her weapons she was cleaning and inspected it. "Shikamaru gave me some… _instruction_ on how to train you. He wants us to focus more on the physical side of things."

Neji did his best to keep his grimace off of his face. What the Nara prodigy had asked him to do was damn near impossible and downright degrading. He knew Tenten wouldn't be happy with it at all and just the thought of doing it made him feel sick and – god forgive him – anticipated at the same time. Shikamaru wanted her to 'touch him' and for him to 'touch her'. _She must learn how to properly touch a man in order to arouse him and she needs to get used to the fact that Ryoku will most likely touch her as well,_ Neji remembered the Nara prodigy saying. He didn't quite need that mental image in his mind but that fact that he would have to touch his teammate and friend in a very sexual manner was a little difficult to shake out of his mind. He remembered the last time they kissed and he could barely control his raging hormones. He feared for what would happen this time around.

At his words, Tenten's brow furrowed and she folded her arms before saying, "And kissing isn't physical enough?"

"You will have to do a lot more than kissing if you want to seduce Ryoku," Neji told her. "You're still inexperienced, you've got a long way to go. Remember, one wrong slip up and the mission is over."

"And you're _so_ experienced, right?" Tenten drawled sarcastically as she grabbed the weapon off him and returned it to her scroll.

"More than you are," he replied with an amused smile and before Tenten could begin questioning him on what he meant he added, "Come on. Let's get this over and done with."

He stood up and made his way to the middle of the room and Tenten followed him tentatively, awaiting his instruction.

"So, what did Shikamaru tell you to instruct me on?" she asked casually, trying to keep her nerves out of her voice.

Neji ran an exasperated hand over his head, trying to find an easier way of going about it. How on earth could he explain what he intended to do?

"I-it's difficult to explain with words," he contemplated with a solemn expression. "It'll be easier if I demonstrate. I apologise in advance for what I'm about to do."

And before Tenten could say another word, his lips crushed to hers without hesitation. His hands found their way to her back, pulling her in closer as his mouth slipped over hers in a hungry frenzy. Compared to their other kisses, this one was wild and untamed, full of passion and desire and Tenten was in absolute heaven. Her lips eventually parted and his tongue darted into her mouth and ran along her lower lip line and she resisted the urge to moan aloud. Her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt desperately and she felt his hands leave her back to grab hers, all the while without breaking the kiss. Neji moved her hands towards his stomach until they were under his shirt, instructing her fingers as they touched his skin, hoping she would understand what Shikamaru wanted her to do.

As soon as Neji had moved her hands under his shirt, Tenten let out a small gasp in surprised embarrassment. His fingers moved over hers, sliding her hands over his chiselled stomach all the way to his toned chest. She could feel herself getting rather moist but she didn't want to stop. She knew it was wrong but she wanted more.

After Tenten had gotten the hang of touching his body without his guidance, Neji retracted his hands and slowly moved them down her body, feeling the curve of her breast to her small waist line to her beautiful hipbones and eventually to her thighs. He kissed her even harder and faster and she was now caressing his chest which sent heavenly chills radiating over his body. It was difficult to think with a clear head, and though he was beginning to cross the lines, he couldn't bring himself to stop. In an instant, he hoisted her leg until it wrapped around his waist and he began stroking her outer thigh.

Tenten was completely taken by surprise when Neji lifted her leg to fit around him and as soon as he began stroking her thigh she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. Mission or not she wanted this. He bit her lower lip, hell it was amazing, and she moaned again.

At the sound of Tenten's moan Neji could feel himself getting hard. She sounded incredibly sexy and for some reason it gave him great pleasure to know he had that effect on her. His lips left hers and began travelling down her neck however Tenten could feel herself beginning to fall off balance and the couple toppled over onto the bed with Neji hovering over the top of her. They broke all contact and it was at that moment that Neji realised he had gone too far and instead of kissing her again he stared into her eyes for a few moments before heaving himself up and straightening his clothes.

"Sorry," he apologised in a husky voice, averting her gaze. "I hope that wasn't too uncomfortable for you."

Tenten took a moment before answering. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath was unstable. She had never felt so exhilarated in her entire life but she managed to sit upright and reply, "No, it's fine."

"He wanted us to be more physical with our hands," Neji explained referring to Shikamaru as if it justified his actions. "He wanted you to sexually arouse your partner more and he wanted you to get used to the idea of being touched. I apologise again if it was too much for you."

"Oh," was all the brunette could say in a small voice.

She could feel her hands trembling and her heart ached with longing to kiss him again and now she was hot and bothered and just plain horny. And the only way to stop that was to keep going.

"Let's keep practicing," she voiced firmly, lifting her gaze until it aligned with his. "I need to get this right."

Neji could feel his erection throbbing in his pants and he was grateful to the fact that she hadn't noticed it yet. He wasn't quite sure how much he could take before his teammate realised he was probably too aroused from their make-out sessions and it wasn't really a predicament he wanted to find himself in. However, he couldn't seem to bring himself to refuse and he found himself nodding in agreement before taking her in his arms and continuing the kiss.

Tenten hadn't expected him to agree. She thought he would have flat out told her 'no', saying that they were done for the night. But somehow she found herself in Neji's vice grip as he pushed her back onto the soft mattress and Tenten wished she could feel the weight of his body pressing down on her.

"Take my shirt off," he managed to say through gasps of breath.

Tenten halted for a small moment in fear and shock. _Take off his shirt? How?_

"Don't hesitate, Tenten," he growled softly. "You'll have to do the same thing to Ryoku and if you mess it up you'll get yourself killed."

Without another thought, the weapons mistress began tugging his shirt out of his pants and Neji helped her lift it over his head before his mouth went back to assaulting her senses. It was proving to be nearly impossible to contain all the moan and noises of pleasure that were trapped inside of her. She ran her hands down his exposed skin and she could feel the Hyuga prodigy shiver at her touch. Her lips curved into a small smile. It was pleasing to know that he was enjoying himself even if it was just a little bit.

Neji was getting much too hard to the point where it was painful. And he was sure that soon she would find out and he would have to face the embarrassment. He needed to stop. He had to stop before it could go on any further. This was his teammate and his friend. This was _Tenten_. He shouldn't be enjoying this. He was helping her train for a mission and thus he shouldn't be feeling any pleasure whatsoever. His mind was screaming at him to stop but his body was telling him to keep going and Neji wasn't sure which one he should listen to. And why hadn't _she_ scolded at him to stop yet? He was clearly beginning to pass her cautious lines. His hands had reached her pantie line and yet she hadn't indicated for him to halt his actions at all. Maybe she thought that this was part of the training, a further step in their lesson of seduction. But even Neji knew he was just using I as a feeble excuse to be close to her.

All of a sudden a sharp knock on the door brought them both to their senses and the couple completely froze.

"Shit," Neji whispered harshly as he tore his lips away from Tenten's.

Tenten could feel her heart exploding in her chest as she stared into her teammates striking eyes. They were completely unfathomable except from one emotion in the depths of his iris's that hinted regret. She could feel his body retract from hers before pulling his shirt back over his head in one fluid motion and heading to the bathroom, indicating that Tenten was to open the door. However, the bun haired girl was too stunned to move. She just laid on the bed, staring at the spot where the Hyuga had been standing only seconds ago thinking to herself, _what the hell just happened_?

 _ **A/N – Third chapter done and I am so happy! Hope it was ok let me know your thoughts!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Yay, I'm back! Sorry for not updating I've been in Vanuatu for the past week and I've finished highschool so it's just been super busy at the moment (ironic, I know). Anyway, here's chapter four and I think I might finish this story first since it seems to be the favourite before I finish my other stories. Plus this is super fun to write. Fav, follow and review and thanks for all the support! I couldn't do what I do without all of you, my readers!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**_

 **-X-**

Neji stood in the bathroom – pants undone and glaring at his throbbing erection as if it had personally wronged him, which it had. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and mentally scolded himself for enjoying what should have been a very uncomfortable experience for the both of them. Tenten was his teammate and closest friend, and though their relationship was just platonic, Neji _never_ thought he would imagine her in a way that would arouse such sexual desire from him. If they hadn't been so rudely interrupted a few moments ago, the white-eyed prodigy knew he wouldn't have been able to stop. Luckily, or unluckily depending on which way he saw the situation, Neji was able to regain control over his raging hormones and leave before Tenten could notice just how much _fun_ he was having. Fortunately, he was beginning to soften up. If he took too long Tenten would begin to ask questions and he did not need that right now. Neji redid his pants, washed his hands and splashed some cool water on his face before drying it with a cloth, hoping the redness in his cheeks would dull down. He brushed his teeth and cluttered around the tiny bathroom, attempting to make as much noise as possible so as to have his female companion believing he wasn't in there to relieve himself of pent up sexual tension. After rinsing his mouth in the basin and shutting off the faucet he re-entered the bedroom to find Tenten stowing away her scrolls into her backpack.

"Who was at the door?" Neji inquired with an indifferent tone, trying to ignore the fact that he had wanted her so badly only moments ago.

He watched as she swivelled around in surprise – obviously she hadn't heard him come in. He noticed a small flushed spread across her face in slight embarrassment but she answered in an even voice, "Oh, it was just the inn keeper. He thought we could do with some more blankets. He says it's supposed to be a cold night."

She gestured to a small pile of white, folded fabric on her bed which Neji took instantly and layered on top of his bed on the floor.

"It makes sense. We're in the middle of the desert, the temperature burns throughout the day but plummets overnight."

Tenten nodded in agreement before lying on top of her bed and linking her arms above her head. She inaudibly sighed, grateful that he was still talking to her as he normally would especially after the inappropriate incident that occurred less than five minutes ago. But at the same time she could also feel irritation welling up inside her chest for the same reason. It was only moments ago that the two had been in a desperate struggle of mindless desire and passion yet somehow, Neji looked completely unaffected by it. Tenten was still feeling rather exhilarated from the experience, as indicated by her slightly rapid breathing, but her male companion looked the same as ever; stoic, calm and unreadable. It almost angered her at how indifferent Neji was, especially since he had been just been running his hands over her entire body and kissing her with such ferocity and urgency. Either he was a really good actor, or he really didn't feel a thing for her at all and he was just performing his duty for the mission.

"It's getting late, we should get some rest," Neji cut into her thoughts and Tenten craned her neck to one side to see him shuffling under his covers on the floor.

"You sure you're going to be alright down there?" she asked with a slight hint of concern in her voice before flicking the light switch off at the side of her bed and slipping under the blankets.

The room was now dark and Neji didn't reply but Tenten swore she could _hear_ his eyes roll from where he lay next to her bed. He had survived and dealt with much worse than spending a single night sleeping on the floor.

"Goodnight, Neji," the brunette murmured, closing her eyes and letting the weariness take her.

"Goodnight, Tenten."

-X-

An hour and a half later, both Neji and Tenten realised just how cold it was as they laid wide awake and shivering in their beds. The temperature had steadily decreased and it was almost freezing. Tenten was curled up into a ball, gripping the blankets tightly in her hand, trying to ignore the biting cold and fall asleep. The sheets were quivering as she trembled and she couldn't help the chatter of her teeth which resonated throughout the small room. She knew Neji had it worse. She at least had a comfy mattress supporting her weight whereas the Hyuga prodigy was sleeping on the cold, hard floor. Plus, he was closer to the ground and since heat rises, she could imagine just how many degrees cooler it was where he slept.

Neji was gritting his teeth so hard he thought they might shatter into a million fragments. He was absolutely frozen and there was no way that he could possibly sleep in such a predicament. He knew Tenten was awake, attempting to drift off to sleep. He could tell she was also very cold but he envied the fact that she was at least in a soft bed. He laid impossibly still, mind whirring as he tried to come up with a solution that involved warming himself up. He considered asking the inn keeper for more blankets or putting on some more clothes. But, Neji was cold enough as it is and he daren't leave the confines of his blankets. After a few more minutes of futile planning, he gave up and accepted the fact he was going to have to stay up all night, freezing half to death.

"N-Neji? Are y-you o-ok?" he heard Tenten stutter softly from above him.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly after a minute as he attempted to keep tremor out of his voice.

She laughed weakly at his lie and he heard her shift under the covers, wrapping the sheets around her frame even tighter.

"Y-you can't f-fool m-me, N-Neji Hyuga," the weapons mistress muttered. "I k-know that y-you're absolutely f-frozen ri-right now. Y-you're just t-too stubborn to admit i-it."

Neji attempted to scoff at such a notion but the noise that came out of his mouth sounded more like whimper. He tensed his muscles as a shiver rippled through his body.

"Why d-don't y-you come u-up here?" Tenten suggested and when the boy didn't answer, she explained, "It'll b-be much more comfortable than the g-ground and our body heat will c-create s-some sort of warmth. I-I would r-rather have all of my f-fingers and toes in the morning, d-don't you?"

"I'm fine, Tenten," Neji told her stubbornly, out of fear mostly.

He was sorely tempted to hop into the bed and share her warmth, however he wasn't quite sure how he'd cope with such an intimate situation. He knew she was suggesting it only because they were both about to become human popsicles within a couple of hours but still, his physical body and sexual drive seemed to have a mind of its own.

"I'm not c-cold," he tried to tell her but as he stuttered the last word he knew she had won.

"Nice t-try," Tenten rolled her eyes triumphantly at Neji's blunder. "Just grab your b-blankets and p-pillow and get u-up h-here."

Neji sighed in defeat, giving in to the prospect of heat. He sat up slowly, gripping his sheets and pillow before hesitating.

"Hurry up b-before there's n-no night l-left," the bun haired girl urged him almost impatiently.

The Byakugan user stood up, throwing his blankets over the bed before sliding under the covers slowly and pressing his marble body against hers. Tenten gasped and flinched at the contact before voicing, "Neji, you're f-freezing!"

The boy smirked ever so slightly before murmuring, "So are you."

It took all of Tenten's willpower not to cringe away from Neji's cold body. After all, she was the one who had just coaxed him into coming into bed with her. Part of her wanted him to join her for the extra body heat but the other and much larger part just wanted to savour this rare moment of her being this close to him. The opportunity arose and she took it. When was she ever going to share a bed with Neji again? Might as well use the cover of coldness to mask her true intentions.

"You know," she spoke up in a teasing voice, "It'll w-warm up much faster if we t-take our clothes off."

Neji almost choked at her words and luckily it was completely dark otherwise she would have been able to see just how pleasantly mortified his expression was. He knew it was just a survival fact and that she was joking, but the mental images that had begun floating into his mind at the mention of 'taking off clothes' was almost too much for him to bear. She was his teammate! He could not have such improper thoughts about her naked with her long, slender legs, glorious curves and –

Neji tried to halt the onslaught of scenarios, involving an undressed Tenten that threatened to take over his mind. He was a respectable Hyuga for crying out loud! Since when had he become so… _perverted_?

"It'll warm up soon enough," he managed evenly, grateful for the fact that she couldn't read his mind.

"I k-know," she sighed with a tremble. "I'm just s-stating a f-fact."

It fell silent between the two and Tenten could feel her body beginning to warm up. Her shivering began to stop and she could feel herself getting rather sleepy. However, she couldn't ignore the fact that she was lying right next to Neji. They weren't exactly touching – just close enough so that Tenten could feel the heat that radiated off his skin and smell his distinguishable scent.

"Thank you," she heard Neji speak up somewhat stiffly after ten minutes of quietness.

She supressed a giggle at his words. Formal, considering they were sharing a bed.

"It's ok," Tenten mumbled wearily. "I just didn't want your ass to freeze off during the middle of the night."

"You're tired," he stated softly and she could feel his breathe ruffle her hair. "Sleep now. I'll wake you in the morning."

And because he told her to close her eyes, she did and fell into the most blissful sleep she had ever had.

-X-

Neji awoke the next morning feeling extremely refreshed and calm. His eyes were still closed and he was pleasantly warm. The mattress was soft beneath him and he did not feel like moving whatsoever. He inhaled slightly and he was greeted by a scent of swirling vanilla and coconut. His eyes instantly snapped open and he all he saw was a mass of chocolate brown hair and a porcelain face still fast asleep.

 _Tenten_.

Neji's first instinct was to jerk away but he realised that her body was pressed against his, snuggling against his chest and his arms were wrapped tightly around her small frame. Somehow or another, their bodies had migrated together during the middle of the night and stayed that way. Instead of moving, he just stared at her, eyes wide and drinking in the beautiful view; her long lashes brushing against her cheekbones, her lips performing a perfect double curve and her sweet breath ghosting against his torso. Only in the private thoughts in the back of his mind would Neji admit that she looked like a goddess. Her hard exterior seemed to melt into graceful elegance as she slept. Subconsciously he raised his hand and stroked her face tenderly, his thumb caressing the smooth, silken skin. A small, yet contented sigh escaped her lips and she buried her head deeper into his chest. Neji felt a swooping sensation emit through his stomach. He probably should have woken her up but he was relishing this moment far too much and he couldn't bring himself to wake Tenten from her slumber. Did he really like her? Or was it the mission that was making him feel this way? Neji was too confused. Either way, he knew that this assignment would be the end of his sanity if the sexual frustration didn't kill him first.

A sudden knock on the door jolted him back to his senses and before he could make a move or even speak, the door opened to reveal Shikamaru and Sasuke fully clothed and bags packed. Tenten's eyes flew open and Neji had to withstand the urge to growl at the two shinobi who were now staring at the couple with conniving expressions. The brunette looked at her teammate in complete shock before turning her head to where the two other prodigies stood.

"What the hell?" she yelled, yanking the covers up around her despite being fully clothed.

"Well I certainly didn't expect this," Shikamaru drawled with an amused tone.

Behind him, Sasuke said nothing. But his sadistic grin only grew wider and wider until his entire face lit up with mirth.

"What are you doing here?" Neji snapped. "How did you get in?"

"It's almost seven," the Nara prodigy stated simply. "And your door was left unlocked."

Tenten mentally slapped herself for not locking the door after the inn keeper visited their room last night. Now, she was caught in a very awkward and embarrassing dilemma that she didn't really want to explain.

"Great. We're up, now get out," Neji commanded them but Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't move at all.

"So, what happened?" the pineapple haired boy raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Nothing!" both Neji and Tenten retorted instantaneously, glaring daggers at the two boys.

"It was cold and we shared the bed for body heat, nothing else," Neji explained as he attempted to control the humiliation that threatened to consume him.

"Sure," Shikamaru smiled lazily, irking the white-eyed prodigy even more.

"I'm curious, did the Hyuga last longer than you supposedly think I do?" Sasuke cackled at Tenten who turned beet red, ripped the sheets off before striding across the room and slamming the door in the two men's faces.

"I swear I'm going to kill them!" Tenten fumed as Neji slid out from under the covers. "Why the hell didn't you wake me up? If you had, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Neji frowned at her accusing tone and glared coldly in her direction. That wasn't fair.

"It's not my fault that you're incompetent to wake yourself up. You're supposed to be a high level kunoichi."

Tenten stood in the middle of the room gaping at him with an incredulous expression. She wasn't really mad at him but she did not enjoy being mocked by a certain Uchiha prodigy. It made her blood boil and before she could retort, Neji grabbed his bag and left the room.

By the time Tenten had managed to make her way downstairs, she had begun to simmer down a bit. All three men were waiting upon her arrival and she thought it was best to not say anything and she dared not to make eye contact with any of them. She already knew their expressions; Shikamaru would look stupidly amused, Sasuke would have a provoking smile and Neji would be haughty and cold.

"Right, now that we're all here," Shikamaru began, trying to keep the laugh out of his voice. He didn't need to be killed by Neji and Tenten so early in the morning. That would have been very troublesome. "We're going to split up and scout the village for information."

He was greeted by silence and he took it as agreement and continued.

"Sasuke, Neji and I will try to retrieve anything we can on Ryoku. Tenten, you can shop around and stock up on supplies and clothes. Remember, you'll need to buy yourself a civilian attire. I'll try and speak to the Kazekage and see if he knows anything about our target and his whereabouts. We will meet back here in two hours before heading out. Is that understood?"

All three shinobi shook their heads before heading their separate ways. It took Tenten only an hour to stock up on reserves. Her scrolls were filled to the brim with food and utensils and she had bought each of the boy's civilian garbs to wear. The weapons mistress knew she would have wear something a lot more provocative for when she needed to seduce Ryoku. So she shopped around a few stores that Ino would have looked at home in and bought a couple of very revealing outfits that she would never have been caught in if it weren't for the mission. After waiting for an hour, her teammates returned and they were dashing through the desert to their next destination.

Both Neji and Sasuke came up empty, however Shikamaru's trip to Gaara paid off. He discovered that Ryoku lived in a large villa just on the outside the Hidden Cloud Village and he was lucky enough to be given a map to its exact location. It wasn't going to be easy to find, but with Neji's Byakugan, they'd be able to pinpoint its whereabouts. It would take another three days to reach Kumogakure and from now on they were on alert as they were in enemy territory. The first day they dashed over the burning sand that scratched at their feet and filled their shoes. The sun was beating down on them harshly but soon the sand turned to thick bush and flowing creeks and lakes. There was silence, speaking only when necessity demanded it, as to not be overheard by enemy shinobi. They had been running for over a day and they were all beyond exhausted.

"Can we take a break yet?" Tenten spoke up from the back, but only loud enough for Shikamaru to hear from the front.

"Not yet," the Nara prodigy answered with a slight shake from his weary head. "We'll wait for the cover of darkness before we rest. We need to cover as much ground as possible."

"Everybody stop!" Neji suddenly shouted from the front and the other three shinobi came to an abrupt halt.

"What is it, Neji?" Shikamaru demanded, gazing at the older shinobi with wide eyes.

"Enemy ninja."

"How many?"

"Twelve."

"Damn it," the brunette hissed harshly.

All four of them were high ranking Jounin and himself, Sasuke and Neji were considered prodigies from their respective clans and Tenten was renowned as Konoha's top weapon specialist. But they were tired, lacking energy and in no shape for a battle. And handling twelve opponents would be difficult especially if they were of Chunin level or higher.

"They're almost here," Neji relayed to the other member of the team before looking expectantly at the leader. "Shikamaru?"

"This is too troublesome," he muttered in frustration as he pressed the pads of his fingertips to his forehead. "Is there any way we can get out of this? Another route we can take without being detected?"

Neji shook his magnificent head as he focused on the oncoming shinobi.

"No, they have sensory types. They know we're here."

"Looks like we won't be able to get away without a fight, Shikamaru," Sasuke confirmed, straightening his stance and activating his Sharingan.

"We'll just have to beat the lot of them and keep moving," Tenten said determinedly as she began to unfurl a scroll from her leg hoister.

A split second later and a flurry of shuriken came hurling towards them.

" _Kaiten_!" Neji shouted as he executed his jutsu and the shuriken skittered harmlessly off the barrier of rotating chakra.

Twelve shinobi bearing Hidden Frost headbands appeared in front of them and Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru and Sasuke fell into offensive stances.

"Conserve your energy and focus," Shikamaru warned as he analysed their opponents. "We can't risk getting any injuries."

In a blur of colour, the four Leaf ninja rushed to attack their enemies with incredible speed. Some managed to dodge their attacks but Neji managed to land a couple of infused chakra strikes onto one of them their opponents who became paralysed, choking on his own blood and vomit. The Hidden frost shinobi split into groups and began fighting so that it was three against one.

Tenten summoned an arsenal of weapons and launched them at her three opponents. However, they were able to create ice barriers, halting her attack before weaving hand signs, summoning ice swords out of thin air and throwing themselves at her. The brunette smirked, knowing full well she could easily defend herself from three swords and summoned a long chain which she whipped around in the air and directed it at the hands of the incoming men. The force of the chain managed to make them drop their swords and realising they would not be able to defeat the weapons mistress using close combat, jumped a couple of metres back and shot a barrage of spikes, crystallised from ice, at her.

Tenten managed to whip the chain around in a circular motion, deflecting most of the spikes, however one of the ninja jumped over her and landed a blowing kick to her head. She skidded across the dirt floor and managed a glance at Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke who seemed to be managing ok. As she stood up and wiped the blood from her mouth she summoned a nunchaku. She would have to rely on her speed if she wanted to evade their long range attacks and land a fatal hit. Once, again the three shinobi released a flurry of ice compressed spikes and Tenten ran at them, dodging them all and using her nunchaku to deflect any in her path. The three ninja seemed to be surprised as she advanced on them and the moment of hesitation was all Tenten needed. She whacked them in the stomach and on their heads, knocking them unconscious. She cast her gaze up, slightly breathless but feeling content on the outcome of the battle. She glanced as Neji Juuken'd his last opponent, Shikamaru strangled his three victims with his shadow and Sasuke slit one of the enemy's shinobi's throat with his sword. They didn't need her help so she just watched the battle as they ended, mainly watching Neji.

However, she turned her head at the last minute as she realised that one of Sasuke's victims was still alive and advancing towards his turned back. Time seemed to slow down as she watched the man grip the hilt of a long katana as the Uchiha prodigy began walking away. Tenten could feel her body beginning to move towards him, her hand outstretched as she began to shout, "Sasuke, behi – "

But it was too late. The enemy plunged the sword deep into the raven haired boys' back and the Uchiha hissed in pain before collapsing on his knees. Tenten watched in horror but managed to grab a kunai from her holster before driving it into the enemy shinobi's heart. Warm, crimson blood spurted all over her hands and clothing but she didn't care. She immediately rushed to Sasuke's side, who had fallen unconscious, and quickly examined the wound. It wasn't too deep, thankfully, but the wound was turning a horrible shade of green. _Poison_. Disgusted and in a panic she managed to withdraw the sword which squelched and ripped against his already torn flesh.

"Neji! Shikamaru!" she shouted frantically, hands trembling and not taking her eyes off the Uchiha who was now paling and sweating rapidly.

The two men were by her side in an instant and Tenten looked up at them. Neji had won his battle unscathed, however Shikamaru suffered a few minor cuts and scratches. The Nara prodigy pulled a face full of frustration and concern as he gazed worriedly at Sasuke's limp body.

"Damn it! I hoped this wouldn't happen!" he cursed in a low voice before crouching down.

"We need to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding," Tenten managed to say as she rifled through her pack for a cotton pad and bandages. "There was poison on the blade. We need to get somewhere safe quickly so I can treat it."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding before hoisting Sasuke onto his back after Tenten had finished bandaging the wound.

"Grab his pack," he instructed Neji. "Scan the area for a place we can set up camp, now!"

The Hyuga prodigy didn't waste any time as he activated his Byakugan and leapt up into the trees and Shikamaru and Tenten followed him wordlessly, worrying for their Uchiha teammate.

 _ **A/N – This was a shorter chapter I know but it was fun to write. Don't judge the fight scene I'm really not good at writing them. And I know you're thinking there's no way Sasuke would ever get impaled by a sword cause he's super strong but remember he's tired and he got a bit overconfident. It can happen. A little more Tenten and Sasuke bonding next chapter. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and please drop a review! Short or long (I prefer long lengthy ones) they inspire me to write for all my fans out there!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Here's Chapter Five! So this chapter is kinda Sasuke and Tenten bonding but please remember it's a NejiTenten story! No love triangles sorry. Anyway, let me know what ya think and thanks to all my lovely reviewers who are utterly amazing!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

 **-X-**

It was a long stressful afternoon.

They had managed to set up camp next to a fresh water stream, surrounded by thick trees and bush a minute away from where the battle had taken place. Sasuke hadn't regained consciousness and Tenten worked for hours cleaning the wound and stitching it. Fortunately, the cut wasn't too deep for the poison to make its way into his bloodstream. However, she had to give him antibiotics and painkillers as she siphoned the infected blood from the site. Neji and Shikamaru kept themselves busy by collecting fresh water, gathering food, washing their blood stain clothes and setting up shelter due to possible rain. After almost two hours, Tenten was able to stitch up the wound before dripping a strong scented liquid that burned her nose on the site to kill any possible bacteria. She stood up and sighed with relief, wiping her sweaty brow with the back of her hand. She gazed downwards and realised her palms were still red with dried blood as was her entire body.

"You should wash yourself in the river," Neji advised her. "We'll look after Sasuke."

Tenten simply nodded before picking up a change of clothes and heading further downstream to bathe. The water was cold to the point where it was almost freezing and the darkened clouds overhead blotted out the sun and its warmth. She washed herself as quickly as possible before pulling on her clothes and making her way back to the camp site where Shikamaru and Neji were building a shelter over the Uchiha from leaves, sticks, weapons and blankets.

"This is not good," the pineapple haired boy muttered almost to himself. "This is going to slow us down considerably."

"Sasuke won't be able to travel over the next couple of days or he could reopen his injury," Tenten mentioned solemnly as she gazed at his unconscious form. "That would waste more time and more resources."

Even though the raven haired boy could be an unbelievable, sadistic prick who mentally tortured her to no end, he was still a teammate on this mission and someone she considered a close comrade if not a friend. She cared for him and she knew she had to get him back to Sakura in one, living piece or there would be hell to pay.

"What do you suggest we do, Shikamaru?" Neji intoned, looking intensely at the Nara prodigy.

The younger man ran an exasperated hand over his head as he tried to come up with a viable option. He didn't answer immediately as he stared into the burning fire which illuminated his strained face with a red glow.

"We can't just sit around and wait," he emphasised slowly. "The area will be swarming with enemies and we can't risk fighting especially with Sasuke out of action."

"We can't leave either," Tenten countered sternly as she twirled a kunai between her fingers. "If we leave from this spot it'll be guaranteed that we'll run into the enemy and Sasuke would slow us down. I reckon we need to stay for a few of days until he's well enough to travel."

"That's three days of waiting for an enemy to track us down," Neji stated simply. "If we move we might be able to find a more secure hiding spot."

"And if we don't?" the brunette reckoned with a subtle frown. "If we encounter another enemy on our way there, we won't be able to fight and then we're all dead."

"No," Shikamaru interposed before stretching his arms over his head. "Neji's right. We need to find a more concealed location. It's our best option. We'll camp here for tonight but we'll head out tomorrow morning. It's still light so in the meantime, Neji can scout the area and see if he can find a suitable hideout so we're not blundering around aimlessly tomorrow. I'm going to collect some more wood for the fire and check our surroundings and Tenten, you can start rationing the food and keep an eye on Sasuke. If anything happens, yell out and we'll head straight back."

The weapons mistress frowned, clearly unhappy with the decision but she was too tired to argue her point further and Shikamaru was team leader so she kept her mouth shut. Both Neji and Shikamaru scattered off in opposite directions leaving Tenten alone with an unconscious Uchiha. She sighed tiredly before sitting on the earthy floor and rummaging through her backpack. She began boiling some water over the fire before chucking in some diced vegetables, herbs and spices which she had summoned from one of her scrolls. She organised three plates piled with berries and bread before tending to the soup which was giving off a faint but delicious aroma.

"…Ngh…Tenten?"

The bun haired girl whipped her head around at the mention of her name to see Sasuke staring at her with half open eyes. Relief washed through her knowing that he was now conscious. She quickly dropped by his side and felt his forehead which felt cool.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly as the Uchiha prodigy began moving his body and grunting.

"Like death," he replied rather coherently for someone who had just been stabbed by a poisoned coated sword only a few hours ago. "Where's Shikamaru and Neji?"

"They're out scouting. Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke grumbled with a frown as he tried to hoist himself into a sitting position.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Tenten yelped, grabbing him by the shoulders and forcing him to lie back down.

"Let go of me!" the younger boy hissed as a stinging, burning pain rippled through his body.

"No," the brunette told him stubbornly as he struggled against her grip. "You're going to lie down and rest. If you strain yourself too much you could reopen your wound and then you'll be out of it for longer."

"I don't need you to tell me what to do."

He felt embarrassed, _weak_. He should've paid more attention to his enemies when he was fighting and though Tenten had tried to warn him, he didn't react quickly enough and now here he was, wounded, totally useless and being nursed by some girl with a disturbing fascination for weapons. He had let his team down and now they were wasting precious time. He hated feeling like a burden and a liability and so he didn't care if his wound reopened, he could soldier through that. Besides, he had had a lot worse before. They had to leave as soon as possible to catch up on lost time. He ignored the searing pain as he tried to move, slapping Tenten's hands away as he attempted to stand up. He could feel his entire body trembling with the effort to put all of his bodyweight on two feet but he downright refused to let Tenten see that. He took what he thought was a strong, determined step forward but his legs had different plans and decided to collapse beneath him and he toppled forward towards the solid ground. Before the earth could come into contact with his face, Tenten managed to swiftly catch the stubborn boy and lay him gently back on the ground.

"See?" she told him with a scolding expression. "Don't try and act tough, it won't get you anywhere."

"I'm completely fine," Sasuke growled and the weapons mistress shot him a disbelieving look.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why you fell over," she commented sarcastically and the boy glared at her irritably.

She began filling a plate up with food and she ladled the soup into a bowl before sitting down beside him and helping him sit up so he could eat.

"I don't need your help," he stated venomously as she supported his head upright and held a spoon towards his mouth.

"Correction, you don't want my help," she told him with a slight roll of her eyes as she pressed the spoon against his lips. "But you do need it. For now."

"I can do it myself."

Sasuke hated being treated like he was some incompetent two year old and he grabbed the spoon off of her. However, his hands were trembling so much, the hot contents spilled all over his lap and he swore harshly.

"Shit," he hissed as he dropped the spoon which the brunette picked up instantly and used to scoop up more liquid from the bowl.

"Here," she said gently, bringing it towards his face and Sasuke pursed his lips tightly in absolute refusal. "Really, Sasuke? Pride won't get you anywhere especially once you're suffering from starvation and malnutrition."

He answered with a scowl and though his reserves on chakra were depleted, his eyes turned red and began spinning as if to remind her that _he_ was the great Sasuke Uchiha and he didn't need help from anyone else.

"Deactivate that," she told him coolly. "I'm neither impressed nor intimidated."

For a split second she sounded just like his mother when he was a little boy and she was still alive. She had the same look and tone and the shape of her face reminded him of her. He shook his head slightly wondering where the hell that mental image came from. He stared at her for a long moment and he wondered why he was being so difficult. Yes, he had his pride and honour to keep but she was doing her best to make him comfortable and he knew that he would recover much quicker if he did what she said. She returned his stare by looking directly into his eyes which he thought was rather impressive. No one, except for a rare few, would ever look him squarely in the eyes. Most found him too intimidating and shied away from his cold, patronising gaze. Just who was this girl? She was annoying, pushy and almost as stubborn as he was. He liked teasing her, especially about the Hyuga and that was saying something because Sasuke didn't like much. Plus, she also reminded him of his mother. She was quite different, eccentric and confident. He unwillingly admitted that she was rather pretty in a way that she radiated such natural beauty, elegance and grace. She didn't care what she looked like and that's what made her beauty stand out.

"Are you going to sit there staring at me all day?" she broke into his thoughts. "Or are you going to suck up that fact that you need help and eat?"

Her words brought Sasuke back to reality and his stare slowly smouldered into another glare.

"You're almost worse than Lee and Neji," the girl sighed exasperatedly. "They refuse help. Or maybe it's just a guy thing because you're all worried about your pride being ruined. Honestly, you men need to grow up."

Sasuke frowned at the mention of being compared to the Hyuga and the green thing that was supposedly classified as a 'human being'. He was being much more difficult than he needed to be and in all honesty he was starving and needed food.

"Fine," he snapped curtly, earning a small smile from Tenten who pushed the spoon between his lips.

The soup was hot and though it didn't taste anything special, its warmth radiated all over his body and relaxed his tense and tired muscles. He didn't look at her while she fed him and after a couple of minutes he had downed the entire bowl of soup. Sasuke watched as she tore the bread up into small, bite sized pieces before popping a portion in his mouth. It wasn't as bad as he thought, letting someone help him. And he found he was much more relaxed in Tenten's presence. He had never really spoken to her before the mission, their paths only crossing when they attended friendly dinners and festivals. She was much more tolerable than most other girls and a lot more focused. He could see why the Hyuga would have feelings for her. However, she was nowhere near as impressive as _his_ Sakura.

"Do you like the Hyuga?" he asked suddenly, feeling bored and deciding to rile her up would be some good entertainment.

"Of course," she said indifferently as she tore up more bread. "He's my teammate."

Sasuke gave her a cool look that screamed _'you know that's not what I meant'_ and the brunette rolled her eyes.

"Either way, it's completely none of your business."

"Sakura tells me things," he mentioned and he watched as her cheeks reddened at his comment.

"What things?" she inquired, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"That you used to have a crush on the Hyuga."

"Used to," the brunette pointed out as she fed him another piece. "Past tense. I no longer have those feelings."

Sasuke gave her a small, derisive smile at her lie as he chewed on the doughy bread.

"I beg to differ."

"Think what you want. I don't see him that way."

"You seem to enjoy your 'training sessions' with him very much," the Uchiha smirked and Tenten glared at him.

"It's called acting, you idiot!" she retorted defensively. "Besides I have no choice but to do this training."

"Your act is very convincing. A little too convincing if you get what I mean."

Tenten could feel the anger, once again, boiling in her chest. She knew he was purposely irritating her for the sake of entertainment and enjoyment but she could help it.

"I'd shut up before I stick a kunai up your ass," she threatened. "Crippled or not I won't hesitate."

"What's going on here?" a new vice came from behind them and Sasuke had to crane his neck so he could fix his gaze behind Tenten.

He felt his lips curve into a small smirk when he realised it was Neji emerging from the trees and glaring intently at him. He realised Tenten was still supporting his head and feeding him food and from the Hyuga's angle, must've looked slightly inappropriate. However, the white-eyed prodigy's protectiveness and possessiveness cracked through his normally steely composure and Sasuke couldn't help the sly smile that dominated his features. He fervently enjoyed Shikamaru's matchmaking scheme as it provided him with a great source of entertainment as he watched Neji's discomfort. He knew, deep down that the Hyuga liked Tenten and it was very apparent that she was in love with him. They looked good together and balanced each other out quite nicely but neither one was willing to admit to one another their feelings. Neji, out of sheer denseness and pride and Tenten out of fear of rejection. They belonged together, that much was apparent and Neji was going to have to confess sooner or later and make his move before his teammate carried out the seduction part of the mission. Sasuke knew the Hyuga. By the time it came around, Neji wouldn't be able to cope with it. Tenten was his and the Uchiha knew that he would struggle watching the girl he loved in the hands of another man, who would most likely steal her purity and innocence before he did. By the time Tenten had to carry out her assignment, Neji would have thought of another strategy that didn't involve her seducing Ryoku. Sasuke was sure of it.

"Oh, Neji, you're back," Tenten said with obvious surprise and delight. "Did you manage to find anything?"

"There's a small cave nearby," he said stiffly, wary eyes boring into Sasuke's.

"Good find," she approved before feeding the raven haired boy the last piece of bread and standing up.

"I see, the Uchiha is awake," Neji commented with a hint of disdain in his voice.

"Yeah, he woke up a few minutes after you and Shikamaru left," Tenten explained before handing a bowl of soup towards her teammate. "He's been stubborn but I managed to feed and water him eventually once he accepted my help."

Sasuke scoffed at her words and turned his head away in embarrassment. There was no need for the Hyuga to know that. A few more words passed between them until both Neji and Tenten turned their attention to their meal which they ate intently.

"Sasuke, you're awake," Shikamaru's voice resonated through the air as he came into the clearing carrying a large pile of wood and twigs in his arms. "How are you feeling?"

"Completely fine," he responded monotonously as the boy began putting more wood on the fire.

"No, he's not!" Tenten interjected strictly, glaring at the Uchiha for lying. "He can't even stand up, he tried. Besides, Neji said he found a cave nearby so we should be able rest there and Sasuke will be able to heal properly."

Sasuke resisted the urge to sneer at the girl who just gazed blankly back at him.

"Ok," Shikamaru agreed, taking the bowl that Tenten had passed him. "We'll move out first thing in the morning. Hopefully, we won't run into any enemies along the way."

"It's not too far away," Neji assured him as he gulped down his soup. "It'll only take a couple of minutes to get there."

"This mission is turning out to be so troublesome," the brunette grumbled yawning. "While Sasuke recovers, you and Tenten can continue training since there will be nothing else to do."

Tenten could feel the dread and anticipation build in her chest but remained silent. She didn't know how she was going to survive if she kept having to kiss Neji. She was barely able to control herself the last time and if they hadn't been interrupted, she didn't think that she would have stopped him if they had kept going further. But at the same time, she knew that Neji would never sleep with her. She was his teammate and he did not love her like she did him. He was also a respectable Hyuga and there was no way that he would risk his dignity and reputation by having sex with some commoner like her. Plus, this was all just for the mission and he knew that. However, she couldn't help but wonder at what it would be like. If his mouth and hands could transport her so far away from reality, where could the rest of him take her?

"It's getting dark," Shikamaru noted as he gazed up into the canopy. "Let's turn in early so we can leave first thing in the morning. We've got a long couple of days ahead of us."

"I'll take first watch," Tenten offered and when no one objected she inched closer to the fire and pulled a blanket around her.

"Wake me up in three hours," Neji told her softly before slipping under his covers and turning his back on her.

It was rather uneventful over the next hour. There was no noise except for the trickling of the water through the stream and the leaves swaying in the cool breeze. Both Shikamaru and Neji were fast asleep when Tenten noticed Sasuke moving in discomfort. Abandoning the warmth of the fire and the blanket, she walked over to his side and found his features scrunched up and beads of sweat dripping down his handsome face. She wasn't sure if he was awake or not but it didn't stop her from whispering in concern, "Are you in pain?"

"No," she heard him reply in a somewhat strained voice. "Go away."

Tenten smiled softly, ignoring his stubbornness and crawled over to her bag and pulled out some painkillers and a water bottle.

"Here," she said as she held out her palm to reveal two tablets. "Take these."

Helping him sit up, she popped the pills into his mouth and held the water bottle to his lips while he drank deeply. She placed a palm on his forehead to check his temperature and the Uchiha prodigy resisted the urge to slap her hand away. He hated being touched, unless if it was by Sakura but instead he settled for an icy glare which the brunette completely ignored.

"You know," the brunette began slowly as she grabbed a small towel and drowned it in cool water, "You don't have to look like you're gonna murder me just because I'm helping you. Maybe those death stares of yours might work on other people but believe me, I've seen it all before."

She pressed the towel against his forehead and Sasuke believed her. He and Neji were rather similar when it came to their personalities. They were both cold, calculating and mature beyond their years (or at least Sasuke liked to think so). He knew that being on a team with the Hyuga meant that Tenten would have been exposed to the famous Hyuga scowls and glares that could only be rivalled by his own. She was all but immune to the looks he was giving her. However, no matter how similar he and the Hyuga were personality wise, Sasuke was still far _more_ superior.

"I'm curious," she spoke up in a low voice as not to disturb the two other slumbering men. "Do you dislike help in general or do you dislike it because I'm the one who's helping you."

"Both," Sasuke answered instantly, causing a chuckle from the brunette.

"What if it was Sakura helping you?"

"That's different."

"Oh, how so?"

"She's my –" he stopped short, trying to form the word he wanted to say in his mouth but his lips and his pride refused to utter it.

"She's your what?" Tenten smirked mockingly. "Is she your _girlfriend_ , Uchiha?"

Sasuke couldn't help but scowl at the girl who was grinning jeeringly at his discomfort.

"When we get back, I'm gonna tell Sakura that you can't even admit that she's your girlfriend," the brunette attempted to stifle her laughter and the raven haired boy narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Don't you dare," he almost hissed.

This time, the girl did laugh out loud. She could see why Sasuke enjoyed teasing her and after the past few days of the humiliation he had put her through, she could at least be polite and return him the favour.

"The famous Sasuke Uchiha, who is renowned as one of Konoha's most lethal and merciless shinobi, is afraid of one, tiny, little word?" Tenten pouted at him conniving and a small growl escaped the younger boy's lips.

"Shouldn't you be watching the perimeter?" he snapped as he turned his head away from her, cheeks slightly burning.

"I am," she replied calmly, quickly darting her eyes around their surroundings. "Besides, this is fun. Guess you're finally getting a taste of your own medicine."

He shot her a deadly look, mustering as much murderous intent into his expression as he could.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop," she smiled lightly, holding her hands up in surrender.

She shifted quietly back to her spot in front of the fire and Sasuke raised his hand to his forehead to touch the wet cloth that Tenten had given him. After a few moments of silence, he let out a small sigh and muttered so softly he wasn't sure if she'd hear it, "Thank you."

"For what, for stopping?" she asked with a raised brow.

Sasuke had never really thanked anyone before, always refusing help from others even if he direly needed it. Tenten was different though. She was nice, caring, proud and determined and she had never pawned over him like all the other girls (Sakura included before she mellowed out), making her a lot more tolerable than the rest of the female population. She wasn't an entirely incompetent kunoichi either. She knew how to fight and after years of gruelling training with Neji, her skills were perfectly refined and polished and she was enthusiastic about what she did. He knew she was an orphan as well and perhaps he felt some kind of sympathy and pity towards her because he knew what it was like to lose a family. Yet, she was strong, fierce and rather feisty when she got all riled up. He didn't know why, but he felt very comfortable around her. She was the type of person who could make anyone feel good by just being in the same room as them. Her kindness and caring was simply… _overwhelming_. He didn't know if he considered her a good friend, but she was at least, a companion he didn't mind being around. She was probably one of the only people, apart from Sakura, he could bend his ego enough to thank.

"I meant thank you for helping me," he rephrased in a tired voice and Tenten stared at him in shock before her features relaxed into a soft smile.

"You're welcome," she bowed her head slightly in appreciation. She knew it was not every day that the raven haired boy thanked someone. "It's nice to know you do have some common decency in there somewhere."

"Don't get used to it."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Hn."

"You and Neji with your 'hn' business," the bun haired girl sighed exasperatedly.

"Don't compare me with the Hyuga," the Uchiha prodigy growled instantly.

"Why not? You're practically the same," she shrugged her shoulders, knowing it wasn't completely true. Neji was, in her opinion, far better looking and much more gentlemanly.

"Just don't," Sasuke told her as he fought to keep his eyes open. The painkillers had begun to kick in.

"You need to rest," the brunette pointed out.

"I'm fine. I'm not as weak as your precious Hyuga."

"Talking about Neji, you reckon you can start laying off the crude jokes about me and him now?" Tenten questioned bravely as she stared into the crackling fire.

"No," Sasuke said simply as he smirked at her inquiry.

Tenten smiled before letting out a fake yet dramatic sigh and she titled her head back to gaze at the cloudy night sky.

"Oh, well," she murmured. "Guess I'll just have to tell Sakura that – "

"But don't you dare say a word to Sakura," he interposed sharply, reverting back into his cold self and Tenten just laughed and waved him off.

"I promise, I won't, if you dial it way down."

Sasuke gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. _No one_ blackmailed the great Sasuke Uchiha! Who did this girl think she was? He almost immediately regretted thanking her for her help a few moments ago.

"Quoting Shikamaru, 'you are troublesome'," the younger boy grumbled before shifting comfortably into his sheets.

He heard her laugh which sounded like tinkling bells as she dismissed his comment and replied lightly, "Just go to sleep."

 _ **A/N – Another kinda shortish chapter but I loved writing it! Not sure if I rushed the friendship thing a little too much but let me know. Please REVIEW! It keeps me going. Thanks again!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hello my wonderful readers! Here's the sixth chapter for this story. This one is kinda fillerish but still entertaining hopefully. Anyway I've gone through this phase where I'm watching every single Naruto episode that had Neji in it. My heart's still dying on the inside since his death and I'm still waiting for a resurrection that will never happen. Why did Kishi break all our hearts? Anyway enjoy and thanks for all the support!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**_

 **-X-**

Moving to a different location wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. They had woken up well before dawn and it was bitterly cold and drizzly. The ground was slick and muddy and there was little visibility. Still, they had to move before more enemies could find them. However, getting Sasuke to cooperate turned out to be more complicated than they expected. He utterly refused to be carried and attempted to walk himself. Even though he had recovered considerably, he was still weak and could barely manage a few steps at a time. Tenten had yelled at his stubbornness and pleaded with him to let the three of them help. It took a fifteen minute, heated debate between the weapons mistress and the Uchiha until Shikamaru interrupted with some logical and wise words, causing Sasuke give in with as much dignity he could muster. And then there was the problem of _how_ they were going to carry him. The raven haired boy downright rejected the idea of being carried by piggyback or bridal style and so the only viable option was for Neji and Shikamaru to link either arm around their shoulders and support his body weight as they leapt through the trees. This was particularly dangerous, especially since they had to move a lot slower and they could barely see a metre in front of them. Tenten followed them from behind and was put in charge of scanning the surrounding area for enemies. Luckily, they managed to reach their location in a little under ten minutes, by then they were soaking wet to bone and freezing cold. The cave was half way up a small cliff but Neji managed to find a safe passage they could follow.

"I didn't expect it to be so big," Tenten stated as she entered the cavern, her voice echoing off the rocky walls. "This is a good spot."

"It's also very difficult to find," Neji added as he and Shikamaru laid Sasuke down on the floor before wringing the water out of his hair and clothes. "I wouldn't have been able to detect it if it hadn't been for my Byakugan. We won't encounter any enemies here."

"Let's set everything up and get a fire going," Shikamaru suggested as he pulled out some dry twigs and leaves they'd managed to scavenge from his pack.

In less than five minutes, they had a small fire going and all their belongings had been taken out of their bags to dry and air out. Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke had all taken off their soaked shirts and the dim glow of the fire illuminated their chiselled chests and flat stomachs. Thankfully, the burning flames masked the slight blush on Tenten's cheeks as her eyes shamelessly roved over Neji's perfect form. The brunette decided to leave her shirt on and though she knew she would warm up and dry a lot quicker if it was off, she wasn't about to go shirtless in front of three guys, one of them being the boy she was infatuated with. However, she could begin feeling the effects of her decision as her body began shivering uncontrollably, despite sitting directly in front of the fire.

"S-Sasuke, I'm going t-to have to change y-your d-dressing over once e-everything is d-dry," she managed to stutter with a small smile. "You're w-wound is not supposed t-to get wet."

"You need to warm up," Shikamaru told her concernedly as he watched her shivering figure.

"I'm f-fine," Tenten said dismissively but at that moment she let out a small sneeze. "It's nothing."

"You won't be saying that once you have hypothermia," the Nara prodigy said firmly as he began fingering the clothes and blankets that were spread out across the dirt floor to dry. "Everything's still drenched."

"I'll w-warm up e-eventually," the older girl murmured before letting out another sneeze.

"You won't in that," Shikamaru gestured to her dripping clothes. "You're going to have to take it off."

Both Tenten and Neji stared at the lazy boy in wide-eyed horror. _Take her shirt off?_ In front of everyone? Tenten had thought all the embarrassing things Shikamaru had got her to do so far was over but apparently not. If she had known any better, she would have guessed that the Nara prodigy just loved to torture her. Neji, on the other hand, was beside himself. There was absolutely no way that Tenten was going to take her clothes off, freezing or not. This mission had brought to surface his hormonal desires that he did not wish share and he knew he would not be able to cope seeing his admittedly, attractive teammate's bare chest. He closed his eyes and halted the images that were beginning to flow through his mind. He would _not_ fantasise about Tenten shirtless.

"Really, Shikamaru, I'll be ok," Tenten smiled weakly as if to prove that she didn't need to undress herself in order to keep warm but the younger man didn't buy it.

"I can feel you shivering from over here," he stated simply. "And your fingers are turning white."

" _Achoo_ ," Tenten sneezed and Shikamaru grinned triumphantly but the girl rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around her torso in order to control her trembling body. "Ok, so I'm freezing and hands feel like they're going to fall off, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Just take your shirt off, Tenten," Shikamaru said in a weary voice. "You'll warm up and we can't risk you getting sick. Besides, it's not like we're some perverted, hormonal men who are going to take advantage of you."

At this, Neji made a very uncharacteristic sound that caused all three heads to look at him. Oh, how so _wrong_ Shikamaru was about that but as he realised they were all staring at him he covered his sudden noise as a sneeze. Tenten bit her lip hesitantly. The pineapple-haired boy had a point and she knew she wasn't getting any warmer. Plus, she wouldn't be completely exposed. She was about to lift her top before she laughed awkwardly and said, "Um, do you guys mind…?"

The three men's eyebrows shot up and then narrowed understanding but Shikamaru said, "What's the point? It won't make any difference."

"It's just uncomfortable!" Tenten snapped hotly, trying to supress the redness in her cheeks.

Both Shikamaru and Sasuke gave her petulant expressions and she dared not look at Neji's but all three of them closed their eyes. Unwillingly, she pulled her shirt off, wringing it out before spreading it across the cavern floor so it could dry. She inched closer to the bright flames and crossed her arms over her chest so it was less visible. Luckily, she was wearing a bra. It was black and lacy and revealed quite a bit of cleavage much to Tenten's embarrassment. She tried to think of it as a bikini top, except this top was much racier and revealed a lot more skin. The three prodigies still had their eyes shut tight and she knew they couldn't sit like that forever so she let out a small sigh before saying, "I'm done."

She watched three pairs of eyelids flutter open and unfortunately – or fortunately – for Neji, he was sitting right opposite of her and as his eyes opened, he managed to catch a glimpse of her. It took all of his willpower _not_ to glance and ogle at her and _not_ to activate his Byakugan. He never knew just how… _well-endowed_ she was. Tenten usually wore modest clothes and since they were normally baggy, he never knew what was hiding under there, not that he ever thought such things. But they were much bigger than he expected them to be and they were only clad in a small black bra that didn't nothing except push up her cleavage further. He had also glimpsed her thin, tiny waist, long, lean arms and flat, yet muscular stomach. She was gorgeous and Neji didn't know how much longer he could control himself until he sneaked another peek at his teammate.

Tenten felt a lot warmer already, the moisture on her skin was beginning to evaporate, leaving nothing except dryness and warmth. It was silent for a long while and then she realised that Sasuke had fallen asleep where he lay and Shikamaru had dozed off in his sitting position which meant her and Neji were the only ones awake. She shifted awkwardly in her spot and kept her eyes on the flames. It was a strange situation indeed; she was sitting topless in a dark, secluded cavern surrounded by three other shirtless men. She wondered what Sakura's and Ino's reaction would've been if they could see them now – probably whacking their respective partners and scolding them. Tenten laughed out loud at the thought causing Neji to stare at her.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"I was just wondering," she began thoughtfully, "what Ino and Sakura would do if they saw us four right now."

Neji raised an eyebrow in amusement before replying, "No doubt bashing the Uchiha and Nara senseless."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Tenten grinned lazily. "They'd probably yell at them for getting themselves into such a predicament in the first place."

"It is rather odd."

"At least I'm warming up now," the brunette reasoned before stretching her arms over her head.

To her surprise, Neji averted his gaze from her instantly and she swore she could've caught a faint blush in his cheeks. Before she could ask why he looked away she gazed down at her torso and quickly drew her knees into her chest and embarrassment began welling in her stomach. She had completely forgotten she was topless and then she had to just go and expose herself like that in front of Neji.

"S-sorry," she mumbled, humiliation evident in her tone.

She stared at the dirt floor as her face grew redder. Could she have any more idiotic? The weapons mistress felt her heart thump rapidly in her chest and when he didn't reply she felt her embarrassment deepen. He was probably ashamed and disgusted with her. She heard a rustle of movement but she didn't look up from the ground.

"Here," she herd Neji's voice before something soft landed on her knees.

She looked up to see it was a piece of fabric and she clutched it in her hand. It took only a second for her to realise it was his shirt and she glanced at him with a surprised expression.

"It's still a bit damp but it'll be dry enough," he told her.

"This is your shirt," she mumbled, holding it out to him. "Don't you want to wear it?"

"I think you might benefit from it more than me," Neji replied, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Besides, yours is still wet. You can wear mine until it's dry."

"Thanks," Tenten muttered before pulling the top on.

It was much too big for her; the long sleeves covering her hands and the hem reached her thighs. However, it was soft and silky and smelled like Neji and she felt much more content and comfortable. She remembered having to share a bed with him back in Suna and how he was so close to her, she could smell his intoxicating and sophisticated scent. She gazed at him with a thankful expression before staring unabashed at his shirtless body. She hadn't realised she'd been admiring his bare torso until she saw him raise an eyebrow at her and she quickly turned her head away.

"I should…um…wake Sasuke so I can change his dressing," Tenten mumbled, averting Neji's entertained expression.

Without waiting for a reply, she crawled over to where the Uchiha lay and shook him gently. His eyes flickered open and he focused his gaze on the girl who was kneeling in front of him.

"Tenten," he yawned before noticing her attire. "You've got a shirt on, thank the heavens."

He felt a sharp pain across his face and he raised a hand to the stinging area where the bun-haired had just slapped his face before yelling, "What the hell was that for?"

"That," she crossed her arms haughtily, "was for being rude."

Sasuke 'tskd' loudly before glaring at the kunoichi. He glanced to see the arrogant smirk dominating Neji's features and he resisted the urge to snarl at him.

"Why did you wake me for?" he demanded angrily as he rubbed his cheek tenderly.

"It's time to change your dressing," Tenten told him before pulling out some clean bandages and pads.

She worked in silence, unwrapping the wet bandages from his torso and revealing the wound. It was beginning to heal remarkably quickly which was a relief and so the girl dripped some syrupy liquid over the site that Sasuke knew was disinfectant before binding up the wound once again. He attempted not to wince as her fingers worked lightly over his body but he couldn't help but hiss when she put the liquid on is wound. However, he couldn't help but think that she was enjoying watching him suffer in pain.

"All done," she announced proudly. "It's healing a lot quicker than I expected. You should be able move properly within a day. I wouldn't try and do anything too strenuous though. There's still the risk it can reopen and you don't want an infection either."

"I know," the Uchiha grumbled before raising himself into a sitting position. "Someone wake Shikamaru, it's stopped raining."

Tenten stood and walked over to the lazy boy who looked so peacefully asleep, she thought it was a shame to wake him. He was sitting, cross-legged with an elbow propped up on his knee and his cheek rested against his hand. The brunette marvelled at how the boy could sleep in such an awkward position. Never the less, she shook his shoulders and Shikamaru's eyes snapped open before he realised it was just Tenten.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," the girl laughed lightly at his startled reaction. "Sasuke's said it's stopped raining. What do you want us to do?"

"How troublesome," the Nara prodigy yawned before stretching his body and pulling on his now dry shirt. "Well, you and Neji can go do some more training and I'm going to set up some traps outside, just in case we do come into contact with enemies. We'll be alerted that their coming before they reach us, which will surely give us enough time to pack up and escape if need be."

"Sounds like a plan," Sasuke murmured as attempted to stand up. "I'll help you."

"You'll do no such thing," Tenten immediately scolded him and once again Sasuke couldn't help but visualise his mother in her place. "You've barely recovered. You need to rest."

"I've done enough resting."

"You are so stubborn!"

"Tenten," Shikamaru interposed, "Let him be. He needs to get used to being back on his feet. I'll look after him if anything goes wrong."

The raven haired boy threw Shikamaru a scornful expression as though to say he didn't need looking after but the brunette ignored him. Tenten looked doubtful but she slowly nodded, obviously concerned for the Uchiha prodigy.

"Ok," she sighed before turning to Neji. "Is there someplace close by that's private?"

Neji already had his Byakugan activated and he nodded.

"Yeah, I've found a place. Let's go," he said before taking off into the cavern with Tenten following close behind.

-X-

"Neji, where exactly are we going?" Tenten inquired as they continued to walk through the darkness of the cave.

It had gotten so dark that she had to grab on to the boys wrist so he could guide her through the blackness. Occasionally, he would tell her to duck or mind her step and more than once she ended up tripping over.

"You'll see," he replied vaguely and the girl just huffed indignantly.

They kept wandering for a few more minutes until a roaring sound, like an avalanche, filled her ears. Moments later she could see light flooding in at the end of the tunnel and she sighed with relief. Letting go of Neji's wrist she overtook him and ran for the exit. When she got to the end, however, her jaw dropped in wondrous amazement as she realised he had led her right behind a waterfall. The raging torrents flowed over the hanging stone above their heads and the sound of the crashing water was deafening.

"Follow me," Neji appeared beside her before taking her hand and leading her to the opposite side of the waterfall.

There was a small path that led to the forest floor and now Tenten could truly admire the magnificence of the scenery. The waterfall was enormous; at least two hundred metres tall and the water foamed white as it cascaded down the smooth, polished rock. The vegetation around them was thick, green and luscious, as though they were in a rainforest. The sun was beginning to emerge and the raindrops on the tree leaves and the ground glittered as the light hit them. It was absolutely breathtaking and Tenten couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

"It's so beautiful here," she murmured, slowly turning on the spot.

"I suppose it is," Neji responded casually.

Obviously, he wasn't so easily impressed.

"I haven't detected anyone around this area, so we should be safe," he assured her before deactivating his Byakugan.

Tenten realised he was still shirtless and that she was wearing his top. She noticed him staring at her with an unreadable expression and so she tilted her head to one side and said, "What?"

"It suits you," he murmured softly and it took a moment for Tenten to realise what he was referring to.

"Oh," the brunette looked down at the shirt she was wearing and warmth began spreading through her face. "Thanks."

Neji had to unwillingly admit that she did look rather appealing standing in front of him, wearing his shirt. She blushed prettily, sweeping the bangs out of her face and gazing around the scenery in awe. He didn't realise, but it was a rather romantic setting. It reminded him of one of those soppy romantic, movies Hinata used to watch. Except everything about this situation shouldn't be romantic at all. He was teaching his friend how to seduce a man, for Christ's sake! However, Neji couldn't get over the swooping sensation in his stomach as he thought about being able to kiss Tenten in front of a waterfall. Even though the notion was completely absurd and he held no intimate feelings towards her – so he kept telling himself – the idea filled him with great pleasure and anticipation. All of a sudden, he felt himself reaching towards her.

"Tenten," he murmured and she gazed up right into his eyes.

Before she could say anything, Tenten could feel her lips being encased by Neji's and she was in complete shock. This wasn't like any of the other kisses that they had shared. There was no fire or unbridled passion. It was sweet and tender and the brunette could have sworn her heart had just melted through her body. His lips were so warm and inviting and she kissed him back. _I love you,_ screamed through her mind and it took all of her mental strength not to utter those words aloud. He brought a hand up to the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss further. However, it wasn't a touch that said _I need more_ , it was a touch that signified _I want this_. A second later and she was in his arms and he was carrying her bridal style all the while without breaking the kiss. Tenten did not know how this could have possibly been training for it was too gentle, too soft to be seductive but at that point, she didn't really care. All she cared about was that he was kissing her gently and holding her in such a romantic way that she never thought she'd ever experience from Neji. Tenten barely noticed when he began walking, all she was concentrating on was the feel of his bare skin and his defined muscles as she stroked his chest. Then, simply, without alarm or warning, she felt his arms retract from her body and she was suddenly falling until she plunged straight into the freezing lake.

Her muscles contracted with the icy water and it took her a moment to realise what had just happened before she resurfaced. Once her head submerged, Tenten spouted water everywhere before focusing her glare on the Hyuga prodigy with murderous intent. His expression was triumphant and teasing and he offered no help to the girl he had just thrown into the lake.

"You…you –" she spluttered angrily as she began treading the water.

"Never lose focus," he told her before swiftly walking away and leaving her to deal with the predicament.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, NEJI HYUGA!"

-X-

Since they couldn't possibly do more training due to the fact that, once again, Tenten was soaking wet to the bone, they made their way back to cavern so she could dry off. Not before the weapons mistress hunted the Hyuga prodigy down and unleased an arsenal of weapons and wire which left him pinned to a tree. She spent the next fifteen minutes sitting cross-legged, watching Neji try to free himself with thorough entertainment. He had demanded she release him at once to which Tenten simply denied, stating it was pay back for being a massive prick and dropping her into the lake. After another ten minutes of struggling she was beginning to get bored and finally released him while laughing in his face. They made their way back into the cave and even though she had gotten even with Neji, Tenten still wasn't particularly happy that she was drenched once again. They were greeted by Sasuke who noticed Tenten's wet attire and he raised a curious eyebrow.

"Midday swim?" he inquired jokingly and the brunette threw him a filthy look.

"Shut up, Uchiha," she growled before turning her back on the two men and lifting the top over her head before pulling her own shirt back on.

It wasn't completely dry but it was better than the sopping shirt she was wearing. She scrunched the wet heap into a ball before pegging it at Neji's turned head. It found its mark and hit the Hyuga right in the face and both Tenten and Sasuke laughed at the white-eyed prodigy's thundering expression.

"That," Tenten managed through gasps of air, "was priceless!"

Neji simply growled and ignored their remarks before planting himself on the floor and began meditating.

"Is Shikamaru still setting up traps?" Tenten inquired and Sasuke nodded. "Get a bit tired did we?"

The raven-haired boy scowled at her mocking tone and folded his arms.

"I'm joking," she chuckled before tugging on the bands in her hair. "Loosen up."

Sasuke made a disparaging noise as if to say the great Sasuke Uchiha doesn't loosen up for anyone. Tenten managed to shake her hair loose from its usual bun's and it tumbled over her face in a wet heap. She pulled a brush from her bag and began untangled the soaking mess. Sasuke watched her with interest while Neji just sat with his eyes still closed.

"I've never seen you with your hair down before," the younger boy commented.

"I don't normally wear it down," Tenten replied. "It gets in the way when I'm training so it's easier to just keep it tied up."

"It looks nicer down."

Tenten fought the blush that was creeping onto her face. Had Sasuke just paid her a compliment?

"T-thanks," she managed to stutter in appreciation.

"All the traps have been set up," they heard Shikamaru's voice as he entered the cave before collapsing on the ground. "If an enemy gets near this place we'll be alerted right away."

All three heads nodded and Shikamaru's gaze landed on Tenten.

"What happened to you?"

Tenten rolled her eyes before glaring pointedly at her Hyuga companion.

"Stupid Neji decided it would be a brilliant idea to drop me in a lake."

The Nara prodigy sighed in exasperation.

"I thought I told you two to keep practising. Now you've wasted a good three hours of valuable training that Tenten needs."

"We were training," Neji defended, attempting to keep the smirk off of his face. "It wasn't all a waste. Besides, I think she had enough…practical experience."

"Perhaps we should move on to the more verbal side of things," Shikamaru murmured and Sasuke stifled a laugh.

"Verbal?" Tenten quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well, you've got experience on how to physically manipulate a man," the lazy boy explained before resting on his side. "It's time you learnt the subtle art of dirty talk."

Tenten's jaw almost hit the floor. He wanted her to learn how to talk dirty? That was almost worse than having to seduce Neji!

"You have got to be kidding me," Tenten crossed her arms, her voice oozing contempt.

"This is all in the step by step guide on how to seduce a man," Shikamaru shrugged.

"If this is all coming from Jaraiya-sensei's handbook, I don't want to know," the girl wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Partially," Shikamaru's lips quirked upwards ever so slightly. "Plus, personal experience."

"Ugh," Tenten covered her ears to block out what he was saying. "I'm so not in the mood to hear about your sex stories, Nara. I've heard them all before from Ino."

"We've all heard them from Ino," Sasuke added and Shikamaru glared angrily at the Uchiha.

"I meant that being a male, I know the general rule of thumb of what it takes to seduce a man," the pineapple-haired man clarified.

"Not sure I'd call you a man if Ino's stories are correct," Sasuke said smugly and Tenten laughed wholeheartedly.

"Wow, and I thought Sasuke was just mean to me," the girl said in amazement before poking the Uchiha prodigy in the arm.

Instead of getting angry and frustrated, Shikamaru just ran an exasperated hand through over his head. This was going to be a long couple of days. It would be a wonder how he would survive before they even got to the critical part of the mission. As all three shinobi laughed at his expense, the brunette boy just shook his head with a small smile before muttering, "How troublesome."

 _ **A/N – Poor Tenten, she really has to go through utter humiliation. Sorry if the NejiTen stuff was a bit short but I really just wanted this chapter over so we can get on to Ryoku. Anyway, please review my lovelies they've been dwindling a bit. Get ready for the next chapter soon!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hello, I'm back! Due to many requests to kep this story going I decided to give it a shot. Sorry if quality isn't up to scratch, I haven't written in a while but it's a pretty good chapter if I may say so myself. So, without further ado, please read and enjoy chapter seven!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto!**_

 **-X-**

"That was completely wrong, try again."

Tenten closed her eyes and counted to ten as she attempted to subdue the irresistible urge to strangle the Shadow user. They'd been at it for over a day and the weapons mistress had had enough. Learning how to coax a man through talking dirty was proving to be an unendurable task that Tenten completely loathed. Upon insistence, the brunette ordered both Sasuke and Neji to keep themselves occupied and out of hearing range while she 'practiced' with Shikamaru. It was bad enough as it was that the Nara prodigy was going to be her teacher and so Tenten utterly refused to be subjected to any more humiliation. Neji complied politely whereas Sasuke pulled a mockingly, disappointed face, saying he didn't want to miss out on watching her dismally failing. At that comment, injured or not, Tenten hit the Uchiha prodigy over the head and shoved him roughly out of the cave followed by a very amused Neji. After the distractions were finally gone, she was finally able to practice.

The first couple of hours had been exceedingly embarrassing as Shikamaru guided her and told her what to say – teaching the kunoichi words and phrases that would have made Jaraiya Sensei proud. After she had memorised all the fundamental lines, the lazy prodigy had her work on delivery and tone, stating that 'the words were meaningless unless they had believable intent behind them'.

So he mentored her as she attempted to carry the correct amount of lust, interest and desire in her voice. Tenten was sure that she had it after the first five tries but Shikamaru simply shook his head, saying that her words lacked conviction and so they continued until nightfall. By that time, the brunette's voice was growing hoarse and sore and before they finished up, the pineapple-haired man thrust a book into her hands. It was one of the Make-Out Paradise paperbacks and Tenten remembered flushing bright red and shrieking in defiance when he ordered her to read it. However, he wouldn't let up, saying that it would provide her with 'knowledge' and 'experience' and that he was team captain and his orders had to be followed. So Tenten unwillingly gave in and was about to stow it away in her bag before Shikamaru told her to start reading right away. She wished that she could have gone back to that moment and told him to go die instead of complying and suffering the taunting jibes from Sasuke who kept asking her if it was 'any good' and 'what part she was up to' all the way through dinner. However, she did enjoy the satisfying moment of when the raven-haired boy pushed her buttons one too far and ended up with the book pegged at his head.

The next morning, much to Tenten's dismay, she and Shikamaru were back at it again.

"What do you mean wrong?" the brunette demanded hotly as she stared at the lazy boy.

"I mean it was wrong," he simply answered, frustration evident in his normally blank features. "You're emphasizing the wrong words and your tone is way too forced."

"Ugh, enough already!" Tenten threw her hands up in exasperation. "I know I had it perfect yesterday. You're just shitting with me now."

Shikamaru just shook his head before flicking his finger at her as a gesture to carry on.

"Again. With more conviction."

Tenten flashed him a murderous glare before an idea popped into her head. Ever so slowly, her hard expression melted into one of desire and she began to move towards him in a very seductive manner. She draped herself over the Nara prodigy's slender frame, arms linking around his neck and her head resting against his shoulder as she stared into his face with smouldering eyes. She began to draw circles with her finger across his torso and she brought her mouth to his ear, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath. Tenten watched with satisfaction as Shikamaru's eyes widened and his body tensed under hers.

"Tell me again, _Shika_ ," the weapons mistress coaxed softly, biting her tongue to keep herself from laughing, "what is it that you want from me?"

In an instant, she felt his body relax and the man heaved a heavy sigh before saying with a hint of relief, "Ha. Ha. Very funny."

Tenten burst out into a wholehearted laugh as a small blush creeped onto his features.

"You fell for it!" she managed to say through hysterics as she clutched her aching sides. "You should've seen the look on your face! And you said I lacked conviction."

"You're much too troublesome for your own good," the lazy boy grumbled, keeping hold of her waist so she wouldn't topple over.

"Awww, come on! You've got to admit that was good. You _actually_ thought I was seducing you and I didn't even need to get you drunk to convince you!"

"It's much better than what you've been previously doing," he reluctantly admitted, causing the girl to sigh.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to be nice once in a while."

As Shikamaru opened his mouth to retort, his blood suddenly ran cold and the feeling of chilling menace filled the cavern. His head automatically turned to the entrance and he was not at all surprised to see Neji standing at the opening. His expression was oddly blank, however his eyes were intensely fixated on the couple in front of him. The Nara prodigy realised that Tenten was still positioned in his lap in a way that was not particularly polite for company, arms wrapped around his shoulders and his hand curved around her waist. Shikamaru supressed a low chuckle. He wanted to laugh at Neji's poor guise as he attempted to control his anger. His body was so tense to the point where it was visibly trembling. Shikamaru didn't need to see Neji to know that he was insanely jealous – it was practically rolling off him in toxic fumes and polluting the air around him.

"What is it, Neji?" he asked flatly, knowing his casualness would irk the older boy.

At the mention of her teammates' name, Tenten's head spun around to where the lazy boy was pointedly staring at, eyes widening as she caught sight of him. She gave him a small smile in greeting which he did not return. Instead he just stared at the couple until realisation suddenly hit her and Tenten dismounted Shikamaru hurriedly, grabbing his face to push him away in the process, and straightened her clothes as a fiery blush began spreading across her face.

"Ugh, you don't have to be so violent, woman," Shikamaru groaned as he rubbed his nose.

When she didn't reply, he merely sighed before turning to the Hyuga prodigy, a tiny smirk playing on his lips as he read the murderous intent that danced within the depths of his pools of liquid ivory.

"What is it?" he repeated in the same bland tone and Neji visibly ground his teeth together as if he was supressing the urge to say something he shouldn't.

"We should head out," he said monotonously as he tried to keep the slight strain out of his voice. "The weather is clear, however the air is changing. A storm will pass through soon and once it does, it won't clear up for another day or so and we'll be stranded here for even longer."

Shikamaru's forehead creased into a frown at the news before he stood up, dusting himself off.

"Is Sasuke fit to travel?" he inquired.

"I'm fine," the raven haired boy appeared at the mouth of the cave and strode in, his limp barely noticeable anymore. "Let's go. We can't waste any more time here."

Tenten gave the Nara prodigy a worried look but refrained from speaking. All three pairs of eyes were expectantly waiting for his reply.

"Right, we'll pack up and move out," Shikamaru said. "Neji you'll lead us and we'll set out to Kumogakure. It should only take two more days to get there and once we do, then we'll start strategising. Stay alert. We don't know who we might encounter on the way there."

The other three shinobi nodded in agreement before swiftly packing up their gear and leaping through the thick forest. They were all on edge considering their last encounter and the wound Sasuke had received was obviously still taking its toll on his body. After a couple of hours his pace had lessened considerably and Tenten insisted that they take rest. However, Sasuke being the stubborn man he was, downright refused to take anymore breaks until they reached Kumogakure, stating that he was perfectly fine. Much to the brunettes' unhappiness, they kept forging on in utter silence. A little over two days later, they finally reached the border of the Hidden Cloud Village as the forests transformed into rocky mountain faces and the air began to thin due to the high altitude.

"Before we go any further, we need to change," Shikamaru stated before pulling a change of clothes out of his bag.

The other three nodded and quickly changed, the boys kindly averting their gaze as Tenten pulled on her clothes. The weapons mistress inwardly smiled and thought the three men looked oddly different dressed in civilian clothing – she was so used to seeing them in torn, blood-stained, battle clothes that she never thought that they could look so… _normal_. Neji was almost unrecognisable due to the fact that he had to wear coloured contact lenses – a blue-grey colour. They definitely suited him but Tenten much preferred his beautiful ivory orbs, though she kept this thought to herself.

"Ryoku's villa should be close by," the Nara prodigy spoke up. "We won't scout it out today. The smartest thing to do will be for us to go to the village, find accommodation somewhere and set up base camp, rest and come up with some sort of strategy as to how we're going to approach this."

No one argued and they continued the rest of their journey into the village on foot. Tenten had never been to the Hidden Cloud before, yet it reminded her very much of Konoha and she felt oddly at home. They found a decent sized inn and this time they managed to have their own separate rooms though they were right next to each other. All four shinobi wearily trudged up the wooden stairs before unlocking the doors to their rooms and Tenten immediately rushed to the shower. The warm water soothed her aching muscles and it felt good to wash away all the dirt and grime from their long journey. The tiny bathroom swirled with coils of steam and wrapping her damp hair in a towel before pulling on a bathrobe, the bun-haired girl heard a soft knock on her door. She exited the room before opening the door to reveal, much to Tenten's surprise, a very clean looking Sasuke.

Before she could ask what he wanted, he spun around and blatantly lifted up his shirt and pointed at the soaked bandage that was peeling off his back and strode into her room without a single word.

"A simple, 'can I come in?' would've sufficed," Tenten murmured sarcastically before swinging the door shut behind him and following from behind.

"What's the point? You would've let me in anyway," he stated monotonously before taking a seat on her bed.

"It's called common courtesy," the bun haired girl fired back but as the raven haired boy made a disparaging noise she added mockingly, "but I suppose the great Uchiha Sasuke is beyond such things."

She crossed the room and began rummaging through her backpack, pulling out the first aid kit before sitting next to him on the bed. She helped him remove his shirt, pulled back the dressing and observed the wound – it was still slightly open but nearly healed, soon it would be a lumpy pink scar.

"We'll be able to take the stitches out soon," Tenten told him before gently running a finger softly over the wound.

She could feel him wince slightly under her touch and she narrowed her eyes.

"Does that still hurt?"

"It's fine," he said dismissively.

Tenten pursed her lips in concern but didn't push it further. Instead, she pulled out some disinfectant liquid and a cotton ball, dabbing the wound as softly as she could. Sasuke didn't make a single sound though the pain must've been great. After a few moments, she unwrapped a fresh bandage and taped it over the wound.

"Done," she pronounced, hopping up to stow away the kit and wash her hands.

She quickly rinsed her hands under the basin and it wasn't until she turned the faucet off that she realised he hadn't moved from his position, not even to put his shirt on.

"Sasuke, are you ok?" Tenten asked as she walked back into the room.

"I miss Sakura."

His sudden confession stopped Tenten right in her tracks. She stood frozen in the middle of the room just staring at the shirtless Uchiha prodigy. Why would someone as cold and frigid as Sasuke confess something very personal like that to someone like her?

"Oh, uhh – yeah, me too," was all the brunette could think of to which the boy just sighed.

"What I mean is, you're a girl," he said none too helpfully.

"Well spotted," Tenten replied dryly before adding, "Did you need to activate the Sharingan to figure that one out?"

The boy shot her one of his infamous glares to which the bun-haired girl let out a small laugh.

"I don't know how to go about this," he began slowly as if he was struggling to find words. "You're a girl and you'd know these things and you're Sakura's closest friend – "

"I'm pretty sure Ino is Sakura's closest friend," Tenten interposed thoughtlessly.

"Yes, but I wouldn't be caught dead within five miles of her," Sasuke responded, teeth grinding together with impatience. "Besides, as much as I dislike you, you're better than anyone else I can think of and – "

"Sasuke, will you just spit it out already?"

There was an unusually long pause and Tenten watched the raven haired boy who looked as though he was battling some sort raging, internal conflict within himself. She had never seen him look so vulnerable before, wringing his hands, eyes darting forwards and back and his mind in some other place. She was beginning to become a little frightened.

"I've been thinking about proposing to Sakura."

A beat.

One. Two. Three.

"Oh. _Oh!_ " Tenten felt a sharp gasp escape her mouth and her shining eyes grew wide.

"Will you stop gaping at me?" Sasuke managed to grumble after a moment of stunned silence.

"Sorry!" Tenten apologised hastily before regaining her composure. "Wow, that's just…you know – a huge step!"

"Well, what do you think?"

"What do I think?" she repeated in awe. "I-I don't know, you need to give me a moment to process this."

The man nodded before folding his arms across his defined chest and waiting patiently as Tenten ran through her head what he had just told her. Sasuke proposing to Sakura? Sasuke _marrying_ Sakura? Tenten had always known it was going to happen, they were absolutely perfect for each other, but she never gave it much thought as to how Sasuke would go about it. But the fact that he had come to her, out everyone else, for advice, was particularly mind-boggling but also very flattering.

"I think," she began slowly, choosing her words carefully, "…I think you should absolutely go for it!"

She broke out into a wide, excited smile and obviously Sasuke had been expecting a completely different reaction because his face morphed into genuine surprise.

"Really?"

"Of course! It's a great idea."

"Do you think she'll say yes? What if she doesn't? What if she's not ready?" the Uchiha prodigy queried, an anxious note in his otherwise cool voice.

Tenten wanted to bang her head against a wall. How dense was this guy? Although she found the situation altogether so sweet and she wished that Sakura could be here right now to see the state of panic that her beloved was in, she settled for an eye-roll and said, "Are you an idiot, or what? That girl is head over heels for you! There's no doubt that she'll say yes. They day says no to you will be the day that I'll wear one of Lee's green spandexes and spout youthful phrases."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, obviously in regards to being called an idiot and Tenten took her cue to sit down next to him.

"Have you thought about how you're going to propose?" she asked curiously.

"Not really. I just know I want to get it over and done with. I'm sick of waiting. What do girls expect from a proposal anyway?"

Tenten let out a wholehearted laugh before answering, "You're asking as if I would know that! Look, it just depends on the girl, I suppose. Some girls like big elaborate proposals with a public audience, grand gestures and elaborate set up – you know, bouquets of roses, a quintet of violas and a fancy restaurant, all that jazz. But, I think Sakura will be happy with whatever proposal you give her as long as it's not during sex or training. At least make it somewhat romantic."

"What about you?" he suddenly enquired.

Tenten blinked.

"What about me?"

"What kind of a proposal would you want?"

"Me?" the bun-haired girl said. "I'm not sure, I've never really thought about it. Well, I'd like it to be unexpected, you want it to be a surprise, you know. I guess I'd want it to be personal too – I'd want whoever it is that's proposing to put in the effort to show he knows me and what I like."

"I see," Sasuke murmured almost to himself.

Tenten could see him thinking, ideas whirling through his head and for some reason this entire situation felt so surreal. They were hundreds of miles away from home, in a foreign land constantly surrounded by enemies and here she was, sitting alone in a room with Sasuke Uchiha giving him advice about how to propose to his girlfriend.

"Do you have a ring yet?" She asked softly and the man snapped out of his reverie.

"I do," he answered and to Tenten's surprise, reached into his trouser pocket and fished out a small black, satin box.

He balanced it carefully in palm of his hand and the brunette wondered why the hell he would have something like that in his pocket while they were on such a crucial mission.

"It was my mothers," he explained. "My father gave it to her when he proposed. I acquired it after she…"

He trailed off and bowed his head and Tenten felt a wave of sympathy hit her. She knew exactly what it was like to lose both parents. Perhaps, not in the horrifying way Sasuke had lost his, but she could understand at least a little of the pain he was going through. She braved putting a comforting hand on his bare shoulder and he immediately tensed beneath her touch and for a moment she thought he would move away and tell her off, but after a few seconds he muscles relaxed and he began breathing again.

"May I see it?" Tenten almost whispered and the raven haired boy nodded and handed her the box.

She gingerly lifted the lid and nestled among the folds of pale pink silk lay a small, shimmering ring. It was rather elaborate – being part of the Uchiha they could afford such luxury – a thin, white-gold band encrusted with three, cut diamonds, the middle one being the size of a pea. It was breathtakingly beautiful however, the band was bent out of shape and the teeth holding the diamonds in place were loose.

"As you can see it's been damaged," Sasuke spoke up in a low voice, his head hovering just over her shoulder as he gazed at the ring. "I know you work with using metals and making weapons yourself and I didn't want to take it to just anyone to get fixed and – "

"I'll repair it for you," Tenten said immediately and confidently. "Just leave it to me."

"It'll need to be resized too. Sakura's fingers are a lot smaller than my mothers."

"No problem, I'll get it done in no time," she said brightly.

Ever so slightly, the corners of Sasuke's mouth curved into a soft smile – a rare display of emotion and Tenten knew this was the type of smile he reserved for Sakura alone. She had to admit that he looked much nicer when he smiled and she could see the gratefulness that danced in the depths of his onyx eyes.

"Thank you," he murmured, his breath tickling the top of her ear. "I really appr – "

The door to the room suddenly opened and both of their heads whipped around to see Neji entering the room.

"Tenten I need to talk – "

He stopped midsentence, voice caught in his throat as he drank in the scene displayed in front of him. Tenten and Sasuke were sitting on the edge of the bed right next to each other, Sasuke shirtless and Tenten dressed in nothing but a bathrobe. They were sitting precariously close to each other, the raven haired boys' arm snaking behind her back and resting on the soft covers of her duvet, his head lingering over her shoulder, faces so close they were almost touching. And that wasn't the worst of it – in Tenten's hand lay a small, black, satin box and Neji glimpsed a flash of silver settling inside. She snapped the box shut once he had made his entrance and he didn't need or want to see anymore to guess what was going on. Before anyone could say a word of anything, he turned on his heel and exited the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Meanwhile, Tenten and Sasuke just looked at each other, the Uchiha's surprised expression turning into one of deep amusement and the weapons mistress feeling the weight of what had just happened.

"Ah, shit."

 _ **A/N – Bit of a short chapter but nonetheless it's a chapter. Hope you all liked it and as you know I always welcome your lovely reviews that keep me going. Remember to like and follow! Till next time…**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Here's another chapter everyone! Hope you enjoy it!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto**_

 **-X-**

"Neji! Neji, just wait, will you?"

After the Hyuga had abruptly left, Tenten quickly followed after – ignoring Sasuke's highly amused expression and bolting out of the room and into the hallway. She caught him just as he was turning the knob of his door and she swiftly grabbed onto his arm and said, "Neji, I know how that must've looked to you but – "

"I didn't realise you and Uchiha were that close," he cut her off, his tone was deadly calm and body unmoving.

Tenten frantically shook her head, and supressed the nervous laugh that was waiting to erupt from her lips. The entire scenario seemed rather silly and the bun-haired girl wanted to yell at her teammates face for being so stupid as to think Sasuke would ever even _think_ about proposing to someone like her.

"We're not like that," she rushed to say. "You see – "

"I really don't care, Tenten," she heard him sigh, however it didn't match the tension in his body.

"Well, obviously you do or you wouldn't have rushed off like that."

When he didn't reply she spoke up again, "Look, will you let me explain?"

"Only if you release my arm so I can open the door," he replied and she quickly let go.

He entered the room and Tenten closed the door behind her before he motioned for her to sit down on the edge of his bed. She complied, feeling rather nervous under his solemn gaze. When he didn't make an effort to speak, the weapons mistress took it as a sign to start her explanation.

"Ok, so Sasuke just came to my room so I could change the dressing for his wound and then he started getting all sentimental and talking about how he missed Sakura he said he was thinking about proposing to her. If I'm honest, I don't really know why he told me but he said it was because I was a girl and that I apparently should be good with this stuff, anyway, he wanted advice on how to propose to her and I helped to reassure him that everything would be fine if he just did things smoothly. Then I asked if I could see the ring which he showed me and he asked if I would be able to repair it because it's been pretty badly damaged, which I said I would do, and then that's when you walked in and here we are at full circle."

Once she had finished, Tenten drew in a deep breath of air and released it as she waited for the Hyuga prodigy's reaction. Neji, on the other hand, was feeling rather stupid as her explanation began to settle in. Of course there was no way that someone like the Uchiha would ever cheat on Sakura and as much as Neji disliked him, he was a decent man with morals and standards. Plus, it's not like he and Tenten were ever that close to begin with. Yet, the sight of them together in her room, Sasuke's semi-naked body so close to hers and the ring that lay gently within her palm, sent a wave of pain, confusion and anger surging through him. But now that context had been delivered, he just looked like an absolute fool – fuelled with jealousy and unnecessary panic.

Tenten braved looking into his face as she gazed upon his features from where she was sitting. He was standing perfectly still, his expression a blank canvas. A small part of her flickered with hope - hope that he was jealous, hope that he didn't want to see her in the arms of another man (even though the prospect of her ever being with Sasuke was below zero). However, the much larger, rational part of her said that his actions and reactions were that of anyone who would've walked in on her and the raven-haired boy in such a predicament. She knew that if it had been her in Neji's position and Lee and Ino, for say, in hers and the Sasuke's, she would've reacted the exact same way or at least asked what the hell was going on.

After another minutes silence, she heard him say in a low voice, "I see."

He still hadn't moved from his standing position and he seemed rather lost in thought, his mind far away from where they were.

"You weren't perhaps jealous now, were you?" Tenten joked mockingly, however she knew the severe hopefulness in her tone was poorly disguised.

At her comment, Neji snapped out of his reverie and his intense gazed fixated on his female teammate. It was then he realise that she was in a fluffy, white bathrobe and _only_ a bathrobe. Underneath that, there was nothing. Nothing but that glorious body that made him want to do very ungentlemanly things to her. The robe was beginning to slip off her left shoulder, exposing the caramel skin that hid underneath and ever so slightly revealing the cleavage of her breasts. He now had a difficult time trying to focus on anything except the curve of her breastbone and how he wanted to pull off the rest of the robe and see her in all of her beautiful glory.

He could feel heat begin to pool in his southern regions and to avoid abject humiliation, he instantly tore his gaze away from her and replied, "Of course not, I was just surprised. That's all."

This time it was Tenten's turn to be silent. Even though she tried to play it as a joke, she couldn't help but feel the pain of rejection well up inside her chest and constrict the insides of her stomach. Of _course_ he didn't. She was so stupid to even think that someone like the famed Neji Hyuga would ever feel jealous over a low-class citizen such as herself. He had never made an indication that he was attracted to her and besides, they were teammates. He probably only saw her as his little sister or something.

Then he said something that caught her completely off guard, "Were you hoping I was?"

Tenten nearly toppled over in sheer embarrassment and she could feel her cheeks scorching red as Neji looked at her expectantly, a slight smirk enamouring his features.

"O-of course I wasn't!" she lied horribly. "I was joking, Neji, you know that."

"Right," was all he said but she knew he was trying to analyse her flustered expression.

Instead, she sighed and stood up, pulling her robe tighter around her body.

"It's getting late," she stated. "I should probably get to bed. You too. No doubt Shikamaru will have us working hard tomorrow."

As Tenten turned to leave, she felt a hand shoot out and grab her by the arm and spin her around so that she was face to face with her devastatingly handsome teammate. Once again, she found herself marvelling at his features – thank god he had taken out his contact lenses, she much preferred the eyes she was staring into at the current moment.

Neji didn't know why he stopped her. His body just seemed to move on its own. He didn't want her to leave but he neither wanted her to stay. He knew what would happen if she did. However, he couldn't resist the urge that told him to keep her here with him for a little longer. After a moment of just standing there, the brunette gave him a questioning look before trying to tug her arm out of his hold which only made Neji grip tighter. Ignoring what his mind was screaming at him, he pulled her close so that their bodies were merely millimetres away from each other and he could sense the heat rolling off of her skin.

Tenten was feeling rather confused as she continued to scrutinised Neji's still blank expression. She easily noticed that their lips were inches apart and she wanted nothing more than close the distance between them and feel his mouth desperately ravaging hers. She could feel her body responding to the thought and mentally chided herself for being such a sexually frustrated loser. But in all honesty, it wasn't her fault. Neji was undeniably an attractive individual and her body and any other females' body her age, for that matter, would react exactly the same way. So, really it was Neji's fault for being so appealing.

While she still had a somewhat clear head and temptation hadn't yet overcome her senses, Tenten tried to put some distance between herself and the white-eyed prodigy. However, as soon as she tried to pull away, his arms snaked around her waist in an iron grip, forbidding her from leaving and his head dipped to down to kiss her.

Tenten's rationality and sanity flew out the window the moment his mouth connected with hers. She kissed him passionately, possessively, almost ferociously and she could feel him responding with the same sort of fervour. The need and want inside of her was becoming almost painful as she felt herself getting wetter by the second. Mission or not, she wanted him so badly she thought she was going to combust.

Neji's lips tore away from hers and began leaving blazing trails of hot kisses along her collarbone and up her neck. His hands found their way just below her hips, squeezing the flesh around her thighs and ass. He knew it was a bad idea. A bad, bad, _very_ _bad_ idea but he couldn't stop himself. She had looked so enticing, staring at him so innocently and he couldn't ignore or resist the urge to kiss her. And now that he had, he knew he needed to stop. He didn't want to stop – god, he didn't _ever_ want to stop. However, he knew if they kept going it would ruin everything; the mission, their friendship. He wasn't sure what he was feeling – the feeling of jealousy when she was with another man, the pleasure he felt when he kissed her, the way his heart palpitated whenever she smiled at him. Was this love? Neji didn't know. What he did know was that he needed her and his body was aching to be satisfied and no one except Tenten would be able to quench his desperate need.

No.

He had to stop now. Right now, before it was too late. But, before he could muster up enough willpower to halt his actions, the girl in his arms ever so slowly ran her hands over his hardening bulge and whatever he had been planning to do, completely left his mind and his body tensed up with pure longing.

Tenten felt Neji freeze beneath her and she suddenly felt the haze of lust lift and a strike of panic hit her chest. Had she gone too far? Should she not have done that? The weapons mistress froze too and dared not look her teammate in the eye. She carefully tried to retract herself but before she could even move an inch, she felt Neji's hand grab her own and press it once again to his aching groin.

He kissed her again and the tiniest moan escaped his lips as she gently squeezed and rubbed his cock with her hand through the material of his pants. He swiftly undid her bathrobe, letting it fall to the floor in an abandoned heap to reveal Tenten's perfectly naked body. He pulled back to admire her. She was beautiful. Tenten's arms instantly raised to shield herself and she could feel herself blushing furiously in self-consciousness. Who could blame her – standing undressed in front of Neji, the image of a god himself? Neji grabbed her arms and shook his head as his eyes roved over her form appreciatively.

In an instant, he pushed her back onto the mattress of his bed, tugging his shirt over his head before following suit. He took her breasts in his hands, fondling with them softly as she let out a gasp of pleasure. The look of desire that glazed over her features made him want to do more devastating things to her as he began trailing his hands down to her inner thighs.

Tenten clumsily fumbled with the waist line of Neji's pants as she attempted to draw them over his hips and off of his divine body. She could feel herself getting tighter and tighter with want and she knew she would never love or desire anyone as much as she did Neji right at this moment. He helped her discard the last of his clothing and she immediately began stroking his long length. Her hand seemed to fit perfectly around him, warm and so pleasurable, he thought he was going to explode right then and there. If her hand could make him feel this good, imagine what the rest of her could do. As she continued to stroke, he began to explore her wetness and at his touch, her body arched beautifully and a moan filled the room.

"N-Neji, th-that's – " she began, however she couldn't seem to find the coherency to form together a single sentence. "Please, k-keep going."

The Hyuga prodigy didn't need telling twice as he rubbed her clit, earning him several groans of panted pleasure. Her wetness began flooding over his fingers and his member hardened even further if that were possible. He nudged her legs apart and repositioned himself so that he was hovering over her small figure. Tenten's hands found their way into his silky hair as her lust-filled eyes bored into his. They seemed to ask for her permission to which she nodded slowly and he lowered himself into her.

A searing pain rippled through her body and Neji instantly halted his action as he saw the pain evident on her beautiful face. She gazed up into his worried expression and noted how adorable he was when he was concerned. The brunette wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him down into a loving kiss, a sign for him to keep going. After a few more minutes of slowly moving in and out, the pain evolved into intense pleasure and the room was soon filled with pants and groans of pleasure.

Neji managed to establish a steady rhythm and he savoured how good Tenten felt around him – gripping and sliding over his length with such ease and her walls becoming tighter as she neared climax. He didn't want this to end. He wanted to be lost in this moment forever, wrapped around his teammate with her lips brushing over his skin and his hands exploring every inch of her body.

"Don't stop!" Tenten's said breathlessly as her moans soon turned into screams. "Please, Neji, don't ever stop – oh god!"

He poured on the speed, slamming into her and rhythmically grunting with every thrust. He was right on the edge and he knew she was as well. After a few more seconds he spilled into her with hot, thick seed and she seemed to convulse beneath his body as she climaxed with him.

They stayed in that position, panting and breathless with him still inside her before he pulled out, rolled off her body and fell onto the mattress next to her. They were both exhausted, even for words and soon later, they fell asleep in a room that wasn't theirs, in a country far from home, on a dangerous mission surrounded by enemies and yet, the world had never seemed more perfect and normal.

Neji was the first to awake. Eyelids flickering open, he was greeted with the sight of a mass of chocolate brown hair and the scent of vanilla-honey. As he looked further down, he could see his own naked body intertwined with that of his female teammate who was comfortably curled up and snuggling into his bare chest. The events from last night soon flooded into his memory.

God, he had slept with Tenten. His teammate. His best friend. The girl who had just given him the best night of his entire life and now he didn't know what to do. What did it mean? Did she like him? Did she only sleep with him because her need was just as strong as his at the time? Neji's head swirled with so many unanswered questions and a panic seized his chest. Had he just ruined everything? No doubt it was going to be exceedingly awkward once the brunette was awake but what would happen next? What normally happens when you've just had sex with the person you've been closest to your whole life? Neji didn't know.

However, another, yet more pressing question lingered in his mind: did he love her? For once, the Hyuga prodigy was completely stumped. He didn't know why he just had sex with Tenten. It seemed so right at the time and she seemed to fit with him so perfectly as if they belonged together. Even now, as she slept with her bare body pressing softly against his, she was the perfect size for him. His heart warmed as he stared tenderly at her gentle features, so vulnerable and innocent.

Neji had never experienced the feeling of being in love before. He knew what it was but not what it was supposed to feel like. He was undeniably physically attracted to her. Over the years he was able to watch her grow from a tomboyish girl into an elegant, young woman and it wasn't long until she began attracting the eyes of other men. He knew jealousy came with love and yes, he did get jealous whenever another man dared to look at her lecherously and he wanted have her all to himself, especially now since he had just claimed her virginity as his own and vice versa. There were random times like when they were sparring or even just walking down the streets where he felt like saying 'I love you'. Still, he wasn't sure. It didn't feel like the movies – heartfelt, giddy and head over heels, more like a heavy weight and tight hold on his heart. Was love supposed to feel this way? And even if he did love her, did she even feel the same way?

Neji sighed in frustration before gently untangling himself from Tenten who was still sound asleep. Slipping out from under the covers he picked up his clothes from the floor and slowly put them on before heading towards the bathroom. Once he was finished, he re-entered the room just in time to see Tenten stirring out of her slumber and her eyes shoot open.

"Neji?" she mumbled as she ran a hand over her face.

"I'm here," he replied nonchalantly, arms folded and standing a good three metres from the bed.

He had to admit she looked rather sexy coming out of her sleep with her hair down and half-lidded eyes and for a split second he was endeared by the thought of waking up to her like this every morning.

"What happened? This isn't my room," the brunette stated as she scanned around the room.

As she looked down however, she suddenly realised that she was completely naked in the presence of her teammate who was now fully clothed and the memories of last night and their moment of wild passion cleared her mind as she shrieked and yanked the blankets around her body.

Anxiety began to take over as she stared at Neji who remained completely unfazed with his same cool demeanour dominating his face. She just had sex with Neji. The man she was completely in love with and now she had no idea what to say or do. Was he mad? Did he enjoy it? Was he now disgusted? Did he feel anything for her? Tenten had no answers, nor did she think any would arise. Instead she averted her gaze from his and said tentatively, "D-do you mind handing me my clothes?"

Neji instantly complied, picking up her items off the floor and passing them to her before turning around so she could get changed. She hopped out of the bed and frantically pulled her clothes on, heart hammering a million miles an hour as the tension in the room grew unbearably thick.

"I'm done," she said in a low whisper and the Hyuga turned so that he was facing her.

Neither said anything, except they just stood there in an awkward silence, Neji impossibly still and Tenten nervously twirling a strand of her hair. She bit her lip, still not brave enough to look him in the face. She felt like such an idiot. She knew that nothing good would ever have come from having sex with Neji. Sure, it was beyond mind blowing and she'd wouldn't say no to a second round, however, all it did was dredge up questions that neither one was ready to answer and instead here they were, standing in the middle of a room, not knowing what to say to one another.

Still, that shred of hope burned inside of her. Maybe, the possibility that he perhaps did…like her? He wouldn't sleep with her if he didn't feel anything now, would he? Tenten was so confused. She wanted to believe with all her heart that he loved her, that he wanted to be with her and only her. The possibility gave her a wave of courage and she decided to ride on it by saying, "What do we do now?"

"I'm not sure," Neji replied monotonously before adding, "But I know what you're going to do. You're going to leave this room, prepare for your mission and pretend that this never happened."

Tenten's heart cracked. She could feel it shattering into a million pieces in fragments so small, she wasn't sure whether they'd ever be able to be put back together the same way. He'd just answered her question and she knew it was the one to expect all along –

He didn't love her.

No.

She was just another tool, only worth anything when he needed use for it. It hurt her to think of him that way but she couldn't stop the pain rippling through her entire body. She would not cry. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he had hurt her with those words. She'd be damned if she fucking cried in front of him.

Instead, she tightened her jaw, rounded her shoulders and stared at him squarely in the eyes before saying coolly, "Of course. We have a mission to finish."

With that, Tenten turned on her heel and exited the room without one last glance at the Hyuga prodigy and made her way back to her own room. The moment the door locked, the tears streamed down her face and she hugged her chest tightly as she gasped for air. Her body trembled, she felt as though she had just been branded with a casting iron a hundred times over. She wish she had. That pain would've been nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Her heart ached and constricted and her love was now fractured and broken. She no longer cared about the mission, she didn't care that she miles away from home in enemy territory. All she cared about was how the one person she had loved for so long had given her the best night of her existence and promptly torn that love to pieces the morning after.

If love wasn't cruel enough, fate certainly was.

 _ **A/N – That's a wrap folks! Sorry about the sex scene I'm not the greatest at writing them and I didn't want it to be too detailed anyway. Bit of a plot twist, aye? Don't hate me, they'll be much more to come! Comments, questions critics?**_


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